If you’re a fellow spicy food lover and also into tomato soup, you’re going to love this chipotle tomato soup! It’s inspired by a similar dish from a restaurant called Eloisa in Santa Fe. While the restaurant (sadly) had to close, we couldn’t shake the memory of this delicious soup! So we got into the kitchen, did some tinkering, and knew we had to share!
This creamy, spicy, smoky soup is plant-based, gluten-free, and the perfect companion for sandwiches and salads! Just 10 ingredients and 1 pot required. Let’s get spicy!
How to Make Spicy Tomato Soup
First, we start our soup with the tried-and-true trio: onions, carrots, and celery! We sauté them in a little olive oil to begin adding savory and sweet goodness to the dish.
Next, we add our chipotle peppers in adobo. They’re spicy and smoky and oh-so flavorful! Combined with bright and sweet canned tomatoes, they bring the soup to life!
Then, it’s time to blend! We like using an immersion blender for ease, but for a smoother soup, a high-speed blender works beautifully! Finally, we add in some canned coconut milk to help mellow the spiciness of the chipotle peppers and provide extra creaminess and richness.
We hope you LOVE this tomato soup! It’s:
Spicy
Sweet
Smoky
Savory
Warming
SO easy
& A tasty new twist on an old classic!
This soup is comforting all on its own but is extra delicious alongside grilled “cheese” sandwiches, vegan “tuna” melts, garlic bread, or salad!
More Creamy Soup Recipes
- Vegan Potato Leek Soup
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Yellow 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!
Creamy Chipotle Tomato Soup (1 Pot!)
Ingredients
SOUP
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small white or yellow onion, finely diced (1 small onion yields ~150 g or 1 cup)
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced (2 stalks celery yield ~3/4 cup or 90 g)
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced (1 medium carrot yields ~3/4 cup or 100 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned // adjust depending on your spice preference)
- 1 Tbsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo)
- 2 (14.5-oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 ½ cups water
- 3/4 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (or sub homemade cashew cream)
FOR SERVING optional
- Swirls of coconut milk and/or adobo sauce
- Chili Lime Roasted Pepitas
- Garlic Bread or Grilled "Cheese" Sandwiches
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent — about 3 minutes. Add the celery and carrots, and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the veggies are fragrant and brightened in color.
- Add the garlic, salt, oregano, chipotle pepper(s), and adobo sauce. Mix well, and smash the chipotle pepper with a wooden spoon to break it up slightly. Cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and the water, and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender.
- Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to purée the soup (or if using a regular blender, let the soup cool for at least 10 minutes first to avoid an explosion). Using a high-speed blender will give you a smoother soup! But we don’t mind the slight texture the immersion blender leaves behind.
- Once the soup is blended, add the coconut milk and return the soup to a slight simmer, just to heat it through. Enjoy warm! It’s delicious served with grilled "cheese" sandwiches, vegan "tuna" melts, or garlic bread. Optionally, garnish with swirls of coconut milk and adobo sauce (if you like it extra spicy!) and Chili Lime Roasted Pepitas.
- Leftover soup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
Cassidy says
MMMMMMM! This soup is EXPLODING with flavor! I often times have celery, carrots & onions laying around at the end of the week so this as a great way to clean out my fridge. I’ve never had a soup quite like this & love how savory & spicy it is. Will be making again!
Whoop! Thank you for the amazing review, Cassidy! xo
Chloe N says
Hi! What can I use as a substitute for the celery? Thanks!
Hi Chloe, you could leave it out and use slightly less water. Hope that helps!
B says
Fantastic! I love a little kick! Thank you for all of your hard work and talent. You make my life so much more fun and so tasty!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo
karry says
This was a hit. Everyone wanted the recipe. Fast, easy and delicious. I love it when I make a vegan recipe for non-vegans and they want all want to make it after. Loved it. Another recipe that I will make again.
We love it! Thanks so much for the great review, Karry!
Allison P says
Hi, would almond milk or oat milk work in this?
I do not like coconut milk in savory dishes (it made me sick in the past lol), and making cashew cream is just a bit too hands on for me at the moment (juggling full time internship, a part time job, and grad school HA!).
Hi Allison, we haven’t tested it that way, but it might work! We would suggest cooking the soup down a little bit more and using a thicker brand of almond milk. Let us know if you try it!
Trina says
I made this tonight, used fresh roasted tomatoes. This soup is very tasty.
Thank you again,
Trina
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Trina! xo
Sheila says
Delicious and super easy! I made it exactly as written using 2 chipotles, and topped it with with vegan sour cream and roasted pepitas, SO good!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Sheila! Thank you for sharing! xo
HoneyBunny20 says
I really was hoping I would like this. Used 1 1/2 chipotle chilies and it was inedible. Ended up adding 3 more cans of diced tomatoes to make it less spicy so we could eat it. Not worth experimenting again. If you like very spicy and hot food then you will live this.
Oh no! We’re so sorry that was your experience! What brand were you using? And to confirm, you used 1 1/2 peppers, not 1 1/2 cans? We do recommend starting with the lesser amount (1 pepper) and tasting before adding more peppers since brands and peppers can vary.
Christina Hall says
Help… I can’t get fire-roasted diced tomatoes, what can i use as a substitute
Hi Christina! Regular diced tomatoes will work fine here!
Nicole says
Loved this! Very easy and tasty. I used veggy broth instead of water, and had only 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes and so used regular diced tomatoes for the other half. I also added a tiny bit of maple syrup (maybe half a teaspoon) to balance some of the acidity. Loved the roasted pepitas on top.
Love your modifications, Nicole! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Sandiegoluv2cook says
Yum! It is spicy with 2 chipotles!!! Got some kick for sure. I would most likely use 1 or 1 1/2 chipotles next time. Thanks for suggesting either 1 or 2.
I made one alteration and used chicken broth instead of water. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Shawn says
Delicious and so easy on a busy week night. We added soft tofu before and let it simmer for about 20 minutes before adding the coconut milk. Will definitely keep this in the rotation. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Shawn! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Larrysmom says
Made exactly as written. I was a bit worried it would be too spicy but it was perfect for us. I even shared the soup with my vegetarian sister who has a fussier palate. Success all the way around!
Woohoo! So glad you all enjoyed!
Megan says
Loved this! I had to amend the recipe on the fly because while I was in the process of cooking, I realized I’d only bought 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes rather than 3! (I was making a larger pot with more portions). Rut-roh. Luckily I had some things in my pantry that I thought could work: a can of tomato sauce and a jar of roasted red peppers. I tossed those in, and I used the cashew cream recipe instead of coconut milk. I also only used one chipotle pepper because I can’t handle much spice (it was *definitely* enough for me!) and I made the toasted chili-lime pepitas for a topper. Really delicious and would definitely make again!
Yum! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Megan! So glad you enjoyed!
Rachel H says
I made this soup for lunch today and no surprises here, but I loved it! I ended up adding a can of cannellini beans into the mix for some additional texture and creaminess and I’d recommend if you happen to have some on hand. :) I went light on the peppers and plan to up the heat just a little more next time! Paired perfectly with some homemade bread.
Love that addition, Rachel! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Lucy says
Not seeing notes about the adobo sauce?
Hi Lucy, sorry for the confusion! We find some brands are spicier than others. Otherwise, you can disregard that note!
Martina says
I made this soup yesterday and it’s super delicious. We love the full, round chipotle in adobo sauce flavour, so yummy! However, I scraped out the seeds of one of the two peppers just to be on the safe side :) Am going to be more adventurous next time.
I added 3 tablespoons of tomato paste (left over that had to be used) and 1 cup of white navy beans cooked in the IP for 25 min. natural release (very soft) to add protein and fibre and it tasted great. I also only had lite coconut milk on hand, used the entire can and it was still very creamy.
It’s such an easy and filling soup, just perfect. Thank you, Dana!
Your modifications sound SO lovely, Martina! Thank you for sharing! xoxo
Alex says
I love coming across a recipe and realizing that I have all of the ingredients on hand! This was quick, delicious and the addition of chipotle brought on an exciting flavor that I don’t eat on a regular basis. I made cashew cream for the first time and am hooked. While I don’t dislike coconut milk, the flavor can definitely be overwhelming so the cashew cream was a great touch. My only addition was some lime juice and a bit of chopped cilantro to add some balance to the heat. Great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Alex! We love recipes made with what we have around too! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Elaine says
Hi, I don’t have any coconut milk. Could I sub with natural yoghurt or a mixture of milk+cream? Not vegan I know, but I am just looking for a vegetarian option 🤗
Hi Elaine, milk+cream could work! Or another option would be cashew cream. Let us know if you try it!
Linsey says
We had this for dinner last night with cheesy bread to dip in and it was really delicious! I love chipotle, so when I saw this pop up I knew I had to try it out.
On its own, this soup wasn’t a favorite for me. It was a bit too thin/watery, so next time I’ll likely leave out the water entirely (I added 2 cups, so already a little less than recommended) and maybe strain the tomatoes slightly, which from the video it looks like maybe we were supposed to?
Either way, the flavor was really good and I definitely will try again to hopefully get it just to my liking! The thickness of it is just personal preference, but wanted to leave my thoughts in case they’re helpful for other thick-soup-lovers like me out there :)
Yum – love that combo! Thank you for sharing your experience, Linsey! We didn’t drain the tomatoes, but perhaps brands vary a bit in the amount of liquid?
SNL says
– I love a thicker soup (I don’t want to drink it lol or be a purée) so what I would do is add the tomatoes in step 2, and cook on high until the water evaporates – the tomatoes become thick and saucy.
– I find you get a much better tomato flavour on the day of eating (instead of having to eat the next day for better flavour) – no astringent/sharp tomato), but I also find I can add extra liquid easily, without over doing my (careful) balance of thickness.
– Saying all that, I agree that holding off the water by half is normally a good bet for soups without lentils/beans. Hope that helps! :)
Michele says
The Minimalist Baker does not dissapoint! This amazing tomato soup variation with the Adobo peppers and sauce really kicks up the flavor which makes this soup stand alone above other tomato soups! I always enjoy having a soup that is home made ready to enjoy in my fridge! My husband doesnt like soup! Ha Ha! He does now! Enjoy!
AMAZING! We’re so glad you both enjoyed the soup, Michele! Thank you for sharing! xo
Nadia says
Love your recipes
Aw, thanks Nadia! xo
Christine says
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned // adjust depending on your spice preference, see notes!*) – I’m not sure we have these in Ireland – can you recommend a substitute?
Hi Christine, We’d suggest using a recipe for homemade chipotles in adobo using dried chipotle peppers if you can access those! Otherwise, perhaps chipotle chili powder, tomato paste, and more onion/garlic. Hope that helps!
Laura says
What would your recommend instead of fire-roasted diced tomatoes. I’m allergic to all citrus products.
Hi Laura, we think sweet potato would be delicious, but you’d likely need to play around with the recipe for the right flavor balance. Let us know if you try it!