Vegan Cream of Tomato Soup: A Homemade version of Campbell’s tomato soup that is also gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and paleo.
Is there any combination of foods more familiar and soothing than cream of tomato soup with grilled cheese (or grilled cheeze, for the vegan and lactose-intolerant crowd)?
As half of the country is probably still working on shoveling itself out of a snowdrift, there’s no better time to re-enact that classic Campbell’s commercial where the kid warms up with a steaming bowl of tomato soup.
Only…let’s face it, who wants to eat that shelf stable version with one million ingredients when a an all-natural and vegan cream of tomato soup made of only 3 ingredients (plus salt, pepper and spices) is only a blender whirl away?
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 4-5 cups crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounces unsweetened full fat coconut milk (1 3/4 cups)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
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In a large stockpot, head the oil and sauté the onions on medium high heat until translucent.
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Add the spices and fry until fragrant.
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Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot, stir to combine and bring to a simmer and cook 5 more minutes. This allows the flavors to mingle a little.
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Turn off the heat and carefully pour the tomato mixture into the jar of a blender. Add the coconut milk, salt and pepper and blend on high/liquify setting until smooth. Taste and adjust spices to your preference.
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Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or in the fridge for up to a month.
There really is nothing better than a bowl of tomato soup on a cold day. This looks so delicious – I think I’m going to whip up a batch this weekend.
I hope you enjoy it, Kathryn! Stay warm 🙂
I’ll take this over canned any day! And you’ve used coconut milk… Ohhh, this sounds so delicious Nora! I’ll take it! We’re not digging out of the snow here, but it is frosty at night. Still plenty of room for soup in the house! Thank you, Nora! Delicious!
The coconut milk is a little different, I know, but I don’t think you can taste it! My husband is a little more sensitive to coconut flavor and said he tastes it but it doesn’t bother him, so that is a good sign 🙂
Well I thought our snow days were over but there is more coming down as we speak. It looks like soup is going to be on the menu all over the country for awhile longer! Brr!
That tomato soup looks so delicious and savory!! And I can’t believe it’s vegan too, that’s awesome! Pinned 🙂
It sure is, Christina! Though it’s actually a little sweet thanks to the tomatoes!
This looks so creamy and delicious!
Thanks, Annie!
Love, love, love cream of tomato soup! I’ve been making mine with almond milk but I’m definitely going to try coconut milk next!
Oh, almond milk sounds intriguing! I like the coconut milk because it adds some creaminess, but I’m going to try almond milk sometime too!
Um, I’m not going to lie – I kind of love that commercial – I think because it signals that it’s almost Christmas-time!
Anyway, back to the real issue at hand – this soup. It looks amazing and creamy and delicious. I admit that I don’t like tomato soup from a can…but homemade tomato soup? I can never turn down a bowl – this version looks so great!
Yeah, it’s definitely a classic. I love what it represents – I just personally never like the actual soup! It always boggles my mind when someone chooses the canned stuff over something this easy. I mean if you have a blender, you’re good to go!
mm this looks great, i love tomato soup! and with coconut milk sounds great. coconut anything is a winner!!
Thanks, Beverley! It sounds like you and I are definitely on the same page that coconut milk can do no wrong!
Oh man I could really go for some of this right now. That shot of the bread-dipping is making me drool 🙂 I love the use of coconut milk, works so well in creamy soups like this!
Thanks, June!
What a pretty bowl of tomato soup! It is just the soup I need after receiving 6 inches of snow this past weekend here in Indianapolis. And, yes…who doesn’t remember that fabulous TV commercial by Campbell’s? Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Nora. 🙂 Pinning (and making), of course!
I totally sympathize with you on the snow, Stacy (I am not too far from you!) and can tell you from experience that this soup is great for morale! 🙂
Yummm!!! How did you know that this soup is EXACTLY what I need in my life right now? Perfect for bread dipping; gosh, now I’m hungry (:
I guess I just read your mind now 😉
Yum! This looks amazing, I love tomato soup, especially when it’s rich and creamy! This looks like the perfect recipe for me, I’ll have to try it!
Thanks, Harriet! I hope you enjoy it!
Hi Nora!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband does not like coconut at all and it went it unoticed with this receipe. I personally loved the creaminess the coconut milk gave this receipe. However, since I do not have a handheld blender and I was afraid the soup would be too hot going into the blender, I blended the tomatoes straight out of the can along with the sauté onion, spices and coconut milk. Then, I brought that to a boil and the result were amazing. I added basil.
Thank you so much for letting me know, Sylvia! Knowing your coconut-hating husband liked this is such a high complement! It’s great to know that blending before heating works just as well. And adding basil is a great idea! Hope this soup is keeping you warm. I don’t know where you are, but it’s certainly soup weather here! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Even my 3 yr old loves it, will definitely be making again thank you so uh for the recipe!
It’s so great to know that this is kid-friendly! I’m thrilled you and your family enjoyed it, Rachel!
made this while my husband is out of town this week because tomatoes give him heartburn. it is BETTER than Campbell’s, yet evokes the same food memory from my childhood. appreciated that the quantity made enough to share a large jar with a friend! this one’s a keeper for sure.
Better than Campbells? Hey’ll I’ll take it! (And agree!) Yes, it is definitely enough to share, or live off of for a couple of days. I’m thrilled this recipe satisfied you and your friend’s bellies!
Getting ready to make my batch now! Can’t wait to try it! Lots of snow outside now and we need to stay warm and cozy!
Sounds like the perfect dish right now! I hope you and your family enjoyed it!
Would light coconut milk work well here? It looks great and I love a good tomato soup. I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, but I aspire to stop eating meat and so I’m taking baby steps. Transitioning will be easier if I have an arsenal of tested recipes!
Yes, that should be fine! Your soup won’t be quite as thick as it otherwise would be with full fat coconut milk, but I doubt you’ll notice 🙂
I grew up on Campbells cream of tomato soup full of glutinous crackers and made with milk. Now at 51, just found out I am allergic to dairy, both proteins and I miss my tomato soup. I was shocked to see that campbells had gluten among many other icky things.
I am super picky though and can’t stand any tomato in pieces or chunks. Could I substitute tomato sauce instead and any idea how much? I am weird that way, love ketchup, and salsa but as soon as I get i home I run it through the food processor to get rid of the chunks. Love pizza, italian food etc, but no tomato chunks or clots, what i like to call them, lol!
Hi Lynn! I know exactly what you mean. I’m not the biggest fan of tomato chunks either! I think this soup will be right up your alley though, since it calls for crushed tomatoes (basically a tomato puree; you may want to look for the can labeled tomato puree instead, if you can find them. Sometimes they are interchangeable which is why I used crushed tomatoes) and then you puree them once more in the blender before serving. It’s very smooth and chunk-less! I wouldn’t use tomato sauce because there are often lots of other flavors added to canned or jarred tomato sauce that may not work with this recipe.
I made this soup today — it was perfect, however I would let it sit another hour or so (before heating it back up again) to let the flavors meld a bit more. It really is excellent and you cannot taste the coconut at all. I used light coconut milk.
I also added a huge handful of basil (chiffonade).
Yes, you can definitely give it a little more time for the flavors to meld! I usually make this as a last minute dinner idea, so I make it quickly 🙂
How many servings is this recipe?
This soup turned out sweet because of the coconut milk. Definitely not a fan of this recipe. Maybe try a different ingredient instead of the milk?
Did you use unsweetened coconut milk? It needs to be unsweetened.