Is there anything better than a classic bowl of tomato soup? When it’s creamy, comforting, savory, and perfectly balanced like this one, we think not! This version has all the amazing tomato soup flavor you know and love thanks to simple ingredients and quick and easy methods!
This 1-pot wonder is the perfect pairing for grilled cheese sandwiches, vegan BLTs, grilled romaine salads, and beyond. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Tomato Soup
The elements of a classic tomato soup are simple: sautéed onions, garlic, and dried basil bring depth of flavor, while whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (a super sweet and balanced variety!) bring all tomato lovers’ dreams to life.
Coconut milk is the dairy-free secret for bringing everything together and adding rich creaminess. And when using light coconut milk here, it magically doesn’t taste like coconut (we promise)!
Tomato paste and diced tomatoes add even more rich tomato flavor, while vegetable broth lightens it up, and maple syrup enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.
Stir and let all the flavors meld together as it bubbles away (while you wait, it’s a great time to start getting that grilled cheese sandwich ready…).
When all of the ingredients have warmed through, we blend! Our preferred method is an immersion blender because it’s the quickest and easiest. If using a traditional blender, it’s important to let the soup cool for at least 10 minutes and make sure your blender lid is vented and letting out steam.
All that’s left to do is dig in to this creamy bowl of tomatoey goodness!
We hope you LOVE this tomato soup! It’s:
Creamy
Classic
Rich
Balanced
Comforting
& Quick and easy!
It reheats beautifully, making it perfect for meal prep and enjoying throughout the week with your favorite sandwiches, salads, and beyond! Try it with our BEST Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich, Vegan “BLT” Sandwich, or Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Herbed White Beans (30 Minutes!).
More Creamy Soup Recipes
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Warming Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup (Instant Pot!)
- Creamy Asparagus and Pea Soup
- Creamy Potato Green Split Pea Soup (Instant Pot Friendly!)
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy 1-Pot Tomato Soup (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub twice the amount in water, plus more as needed to prevent sticking)
- 1 ½ cups diced yellow onion (~1 large onion)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, in juices
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth (sub up to half with extra coconut milk for creamier soup)
- 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk (or sub full-fat for creamier soup)
- 3/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
FOR SERVING optional
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Freshly chopped basil
- Croutons (see notes for homemade // use gluten-free if needed)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for ~4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and dried basil and cook for ~1 more minute or until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, broth, coconut milk, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Cover and bring to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes. The longer it simmers, the deeper the flavor.
- Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to purée the soup (or if using a regular blender, let the soup cool first to avoid an explosion).
- Bring soup back to a simmer over medium heat until warmed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more maple syrup to balance the acidity, coconut milk for creaminess, or salt for overall flavor. If you prefer a thicker soup, remove the lid and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency is reached.
- Divide between bowls. Option to garnish with vegan parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and croutons.
- Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
Video
Notes
*Recipe as written makes ~8 cups (2 liters) soup.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
*Adapted from the Creamy Tomato & Herb Bisque in our Everyday Cooking cookbook.
Sandra says
This has become one of our favorite light dinners. The first time I made it, I did not have canned whole tomatoes so I used crushed tomatoes. When it came time to blend it, my husband said he thought it looked really good just like it was. So… we have chunky tomato soup! Anytime I ask if he wants to try it blended, he says, “If it ain’t broke… ” So chunky it is. I add a little oregano, cumin, and paprika as well. Great recipe!
Sounds lovely, Sandra! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Gayle says
I will make this again and again. We have some dairy free people in the family, and they have missed tomato soup. I think this is very tasty and easy to make.
We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Gayle. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
L says
This was delicious and I had been initially cautious in the coconut milk. Adds the creaminess with no coconut flavor at all! Thank you for this!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for sharing! xo
Lisa Nastasi says
So delicious and easy to make!! 😍
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Lisa! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Roxy says
SO good! I made this with full fat coconut milk and added fresh basil. Will definitely be making it again!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Roxy! xoxo
Patty says
Excellent.
Thanks so much, Patty! xoxo
Triona says
My 7-yo son is a huge fan of a kid-friendly brand of canned tomato soup with pasta shapes in it, but we’ve had trouble finding it off and on since the pandemic started. Today we made our own with this recipe (together—it’s easy enough that he was able to help with just about everything!). We added some cooked protein-plus rotini at the end and used an Italian seasoning blend instead of dried basil, but other than that, followed the recipe as written.
He LOVES it! He says it’s even better than his beloved canned soup. I like it a lot too, even though I’m not normally a fan of tomato soup. Definitely going on the “make often” list!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad this recipe worked well as a replacement for the soup he likes and that you enjoyed it too. Thank you for sharing, Triona!
Aisha says
Delicious! Definitely the best tomato soup I’ve ever had, it was so good with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side! I subbed cashew cream (1/2 cup of cashews blended with 1 cup of water) for the coconut milk with great success :)
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Aisha. Thank you for sharing! xo
Steph says
I have tried many vegan tomato soup recipes, and I never found one that balanced well. My daughter is a picky tomato soup eater and only wants tomato soup when she’s sick. I’m SO happy to finally have a tomato soup that my kid approves of. My whole family loves it and I’m thrilled that it’s also probably the simplest recipe I’ve tried! This is a staple at my house ❤️.
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Steph! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Sarah says
My kids love this soup; it’s on repeat every couple weeks, and I throw in some whole grain elbow noodles for extra protein/fiber.
We’re so glad you and your family are enjoying it, Sarah! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Marina says
Silly question but can I sub a red onion instead of yellow? I am thinking the flavor of the soup will change but I don’t normally buy yellow onions
Hi Marina, a red onion will work perfectly well here!
Stacey says
This is the second time I’ve made this. It’s so good! This time I made it as is, but added the white beans that were mentioned in the garlicky tomato soup recipe. I serve it with croutons and it’s amazing. I freeze both the soup and the croutons for future meals and they’re both perfect.
Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Stacey! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Screaming Jay says
Made this soup last night. It was outstanding. The person I made it for is an omni eater, and they loved it, too.
I used full-fat coconut milk because it was what I hand. I added more tomato paste to balance out the creaminess. I might not need that if I use light milk next time. And I just forgot about the syrup!
Where I’m visiting doesn’t have an immersion blender, so I just used a potato masher on the soup. It didn’t occur to me to crush the San Marzanos with my hands.
It all came together so quickly, too! I let it simmer for quite a long time because I had time to wait. This is definitely going into rotation.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Trina says
I made this soup for lunch today. It is wonderful and quick to make. Served with rice paper bacon lettuce and tomatoe sandwich.
Thanks again for another great meal.
Trina
Wow! That sounds so tasty, thank you for sharing! xo
Stacy says
I made this as per the recipe, but with full-fat Thai Kitchen coconut milk as that was what we had in the cupboard. I blitzed it for quite a while with the immersion blender as I prefer smooth soups. It was delicious! It was very satisfying with a piece of whole-grain toast ripped into croutons. I did notice a slight taste of coconut, but not enough to bother me.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your experience, Stacy!
Suzanne Favreau says
So delicious! I planned to freeze some of the soup, but my husband and I finished it in two days. It made a great dinner with homemade bread and a salad. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Amazing! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing, Suzanne! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Suzanne Favreau says
Forgot to include the stars with my previous comments. Five star soup!
Yay! Thanks, Suzanne!
Tonya says
Very good!! Easy to make. It will be a repeat for a long time to come.
Pip Bayley says
Really easy recipe and delicious result. I couldn’t find Marzano tomatoes here in the UK in cans so used Datterini tomatoes, I’m sure with the same excellent result. Will be subbing soft brown sugar for maple syrup as it’s cheaper!! Once again Dana, your recipe came out tops, thank you.
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Pip!
JennyG says
Just made this and YUMMY. A few changes based on what I had: used a little dried parsley and dill, chipotle spice. A little nutritional yeast. Didn’t use the name brand tomatoes. Best tomato soup I ever ate!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Jenny!
Cindy says
Great tomato soup! I was craving tomato soup and grilled cheese and this was so comforting. I subbed cashew milk for coconut milk because I was afraid it would taste like coconut and it was nice and creamy. Thanks for the great recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Cindy!
Karen O says
Just made this soup! Delish! Quick! Easy! Yummy!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Karen! xoxo!
Lindsey says
This is a wonderful and delicious soup! I really appreciated the simplicity of the ingredients and how easy it was to prepare. I added an extra 14 oz can of tomatoes just because, as well as frozen kale and nutritional yeast.
Those additions sound lovely! Thank you for sharing, Lindsey! xo
Sara says
Would the chicken broth I have in my pantry be okay to substitute for the vegetable broth? Love to see a great dairy free recipe!
Definitely! It might change the flavor slightly, but it will work just fine. Let us know what you think!
Melanie says
As a nonvegan but devoted soup lover, I was only expecting to like this recipe. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Made exactly as written, served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a dash of Tabasco. Dipped a croissant in it and enjoyed every bite. Can’t thank you enough for posting it!
Woohoo! So glad to hear you enjoyed this, Melanie! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Hadley says
We so enjoyed this soup! Easy to make and absolutely delicious! I used oat milk instead of coconut milk (I hadn’t had a chance to go to the store) and added gnocchi and fresh spinach to make it a full meal. We got six good sized servings out of the batch and I cannot wait to eat the leftovers! So yummy and so simple to make! Will definitely make again and recommend!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Hadley. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Patty says
Made this for a light dinner before the vegan holiday feasting, it was so simple with all pantry items…I consider onion and garlic pantry items. This is definitely a keeper and will be perfect for a snowy day. Thank you, Dana!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Patty. We are so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Sarah Hornbarger says
Loved this soup. So easy and delightful. I was talking about it for days after. Thanks for another great vegan recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks so much, Sarah. So glad you enjoyed!
Kate says
This is the BEST soup I have ever had. For real run to your kitchen and make this. LOL. Thanks so much for all your recipes.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the high praise, Kate. So glad you enjoyed!
Mandi says
This is now my go-to tomato soup recipe! I absolutely love it.
I add a can of chickpeas and 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast to give it more of a bisque texture and flavor and it’s elevated it to the next level.
Love those additions, Mandi! We’re so glad you enjoy it! xoxo
Jaclyn says
This is probably the best tomato soup I’ve ever had! Perfectly paired with vegan grilled cheese. Just freakin amazing
We love hearing this, Jaclyn! Thank you so much for the lovely review! xo
Tish says
I just made this and it’s freaking delicious. I didn’t realize that I was completely out of coconut milk. I subbed Not Milk.
Nice! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Tish!
Cassy says
Yummmmmmm! This is perfect and comforting! We had with grilled cheese and it was perfect for a cool night. I wondered if I would taste the coconut milk but I don’t at all. I made a double batch to freeze half for later.
Woohoo! We love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Cassy!
Beverley says
The one pot tomato soup is divine, my poor husband was only allowed 1 bowl as I ferreted the rest away .I promised to make him more.
So glad to hear you both enjoyed it!
Lisa says
Excellent!!! Blanched 6 fresh Roma tomatoes and then deskinnd and deseeded instead of using the whole canned tomatoes. Everything else made as written. Absolutely divine.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Lisa! xo
Zandria says
Just made this last night and followed the exact recipe. AHHHMAZING. Fantastic flavor and easy to make. *chef’s kiss
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Zandria! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Elizabeth says
Would oat milk work for this soup?
Hi Elizabeth! We haven’t tried this with oat milk and we aren’t sure what the results would be since it has a lot less fat, but it could work. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Elizabeth says
I did try this recipe with oat milk and the soup turned out great! Still thick and savory. I did let this simmer slow without a cover for awhile once the tomatoes were puréed. Lots left over and froze for a rainy day! Thanks!!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth!
sabrina says
Absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as it is. Thank you!
Woohoo! Thank you for the lovely review, Sabrina! xo
Aarvi Shah says
Hi!
I want to make this except I don’t have coconut cream. I’m not vegan or anything so do you know what I could replace it with??
Hi Aarvi, you could use dairy cream or homemade cashew cream. Let us know how it goes!
Lyndie says
Is there any way to use a crockpot for this? How could I do that? I’m a busy mama so I survive off of my crockpot haha
Hi Lyndie, perhaps! It would still be best to sauté the onions and garlic, but it might also work to just add everything to a crockpot and cooking on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2 hours. Let us know if you try it out!
Emma says
I used garden tomatoes and cooked it in the instant pot for 5 minutes at high pressure. I let the pressure naturally release. It turned out fantastic!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Emma! xo
Erika says
This is the second recipe I have made from your website. My kids loved it! Our family has dairy, gluten and egg sensitivities, so this soup was perfect for my little tomato soup lovers! Thank you for all of your great recipes!
Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Erika. We are so glad your kids enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Perrin says
I used 45 ounces of fresh peeled tomatoes from the garden and omitted the can of diced tomatoes and the San Marino’s… other than that everything the same. Flavor was fantastic although I wish I would have strained out the seeds. Thanks for being awesome Dana!
Yum – love to hear that this worked with fresh tomatoes! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Perrin!
Baiba says
Dear Dana,
It was perfect! Had a ton of tomatoes from our garden, so I just used fresh, halved and unpeeled tomatoes instead of the listed tomato ingredients. When I blend with the immersion blender, the tomato skins get stuck in it, so I take them out – that’s an easy way to get the skins out of the soup.
I added also the cooked garlic kale from your pumpkin soup recipe.
You are doing such a great job!
I am forever grateful.
Thank you so much, Baiba! We’re so glad to hear it worked with fresh tomatoes, and the kale would be so yummy here! So glad you enjoyed!
B says
I added some heat with hot peppers and some thyme and tarragon. Soup came out WONDERFUL! I added a little sherry at the end. YUMMM!
Ooo – yum! Thanks so much for the lovely review, so glad you enjoyed!
Sigrid says
This is great! Thanks for sharing. I can’t have coconut or cashew, do you think there’s another sub I could use, would unsweetened soy milk be weird to use?
Hi Sigrid, we don’t love the flavor of soy milk in soups and it won’t add quite the same creaminess, but it should be okay. Let us know if you try it!
Tiffany says
Hottest day of the summer and I am making soup. I did it in the InstaPot. Great soup. Will make again!
Wonderful! Great hack to use the Instant Pot =) Thank you for sharing, Tiffany!
Kaitlin says
I’ve never made tomato soup before but found this recipe super simple and easy to follow. I ended up blanching a mix of Roma and vine tomatoes to replace the can of diced tomatoes. It tasted delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Yay! We’re so glad it turned out well. Thank you so much for sharing, Kaitlin! xo
Stacey says
This looks delicious!! Is there any way I can use fresh tomatoes in this??
Hi Stacey, for fresh tomatoes, we would recommend slicing a small “X” at the bottom of each tomato, blanching them in boiling water for 1 minute, then peeling. You should then be able to use them in place of the canned tomatoes. The flavor will vary based on the tomatoes you’re starting with, so keep in mind you can add more tomato paste for greater depth of flavor. Hope that helps! Let us know how it goes!
CB says
Can you taste the coconut at all?
We find the tomatoes do a great job of covering up the coconut flavor. But if you’re super sensitive to the taste of coconut, you might prefer using cashew cream instead. Hope that helps!
Sharon Irven says
This looks yummy- how can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned? It’s the height of tomato season here in Ontario, Canada
Hi Sharon, for fresh tomatoes, we would recommend slicing a small “X” at the bottom of each tomato, blanching them in boiling water for 1 minute, then peeling. You should then be able to use them in place of the canned tomatoes. The flavor will vary based on the tomatoes you’re starting with, so keep in mind you can add more tomato paste for greater depth of flavor. Hope that helps! Let us know how it goes!
Jacqueline says
Can this be made with fresh tomatoes by chance? Thanks in advance!!
Hi Jacqueline, for fresh tomatoes, we would recommend slicing a small “X” at the bottom of each tomato, blanching them in boiling water for 1 minute, then peeling. You should then be able to use them in place of the canned tomatoes. The flavor will vary based on the tomatoes you’re starting with, so keep in mind you can add more tomato paste for greater depth of flavor. Hope that helps! Let us know how it goes!
Melody says
Hi! What do suggest as a sub for maple syrup? Is brown sugar or honey acceptable?
Hi Melody, either of those would work well in place of maple syrup!
Dezi says
This recipe sounds delicious. Since it’s end of the summer season in the part of the world where I live do you happen to know how I could use the fresh tomatoes from my backyard to replace the ones in this recipe?
Hi Dezi, for fresh tomatoes, we would recommend slicing a small “X” at the bottom of each tomato, blanching them in boiling water for 1 minute, then peeling. You should then be able to use them in place of the canned tomatoes. The flavor will vary based on the tomatoes you’re starting with, so keep in mind you can add more tomato paste for greater depth of flavor. Hope that helps! Let us know how it goes!