This creamy dairy free tomato soup is incredibly flavorful. It's made with fresh tomatoes, fresh herbs, shallots, & a few other simple ingredients. Plus, this easy recipe is also gluten free and vegan friendly.
This homemade tomato soup holds onto summer's bright and rich flavors but is light and fresh and perfect on a cold day or a cooler summer night. Serve it for lunch or dinner with a dairy free grilled cheese sandwich or a piece of warm, crusty bread.
Ingredients
This homemade creamy tomato soup uses just a few basic pantry staples and a handful of fresh ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Fresh tomatoes - I used Roma tomatoes (also called plum tomatoes), but you could also use cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or a combination.
- Garlic cloves - to create the flavor early on.
- Shallots - caramelizing them first adds dimension to the soup.
- Tomato paste - helps give the soup a really concentrated tomato flavor and gives it lots of umami notes.
- Vegetable broth - also called vegetable stock or you can also use chicken broth/chicken stock.
- Fresh thyme sprigs - add more flavor.
- Fresh basil leaves - give it freshness and goes so well with tomatoes.
- Extra virgin olive oil - for roasting the tomatoes and also adding depth and richness to the soup.
- Salt & black pepper - to taste.
- Vegan butter (optional) - gives it a richer flavor and creamier texture.
How to Make Dairy Free Tomato Soup
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 400°F/200ºC.
Step 2. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise (leave small tomato varieties whole), remove the stem, and place them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking tray in a single layer along with the peeled garlic cloves. Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.
Step 3. When the tomatoes have about 15 minutes left in the oven, heat a Dutch oven (or another large pot) over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the diced shallot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt & pepper and stir in the tomato paste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Step 4. Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and add them to the soup pot along with the garlic (plus the juicy bits on the baking sheet), broth, fresh basil, and thyme leaves. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5-8 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Step 5. Go in with an immersion blender until you’ve reached your desired consistency - either completely smooth or with a little texture. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and stir in the vegan butter if using. Serve with any optional add-ins such as cashew cream, coconut cream, or non-dairy milk, and drizzle with more olive oil.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this dairy free tomato soup using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No shallots? - use a red, white, or yellow onion instead.
- No fresh thyme? - sub ½ teaspoon of dried thyme in its place.
- No tomato paste? - use 4 tablespoons tomato sauce or tomato puree instead, but you'll have to cook it down a little longer to reduce it to have a similar concentrated flavor.
- Not tomato season? - If making this recipe during the winter months, you can also use canned whole peeled tomatoes (you'll need about one and a half 28-ounce cans).
- Make a creamy soup - add in coconut cream, canned coconut milk or cashew cream or another non-dairy milk such as cashew milk for no coconut flavor.
- Like it spicy? - add in red pepper flakes or some cayenne pepper for a little heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
To speed up the tomato ripening process, put them in a paper bag and fold over the top. Let them sit on the countertop for a couple of days. Once their skin has turned a deeper hue of red and they're softer to the touch, they're ready to use.
Definitely, use a high-speed blender but make sure to leave plenty of room at the top. Also, you'll likely have to do it in two batches.
The fresh basil leaves add a lot of flavor, so please use fresh basil, not dried.
Let the soup cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, once cool, pour the soup into a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge or add it directly to a soup pot over medium heat until gently simmering and warmed through.
More Dairy Free Tomato Recipes
Dairy Free Tomato Soup With Basil
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh tomatoes Roma (plum), heirloom, cherry tomatoes, or a combination
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 - 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 shallots, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ - 2 cups chicken or veggie broth depending on how thick you want your soup
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves + more for serving
- salt & black pepper, to taste
Optional Add-ins
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter optional
- cashew cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F/200ºC.
- Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise (leave small tomato varieties whole), remove the stem, and place them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking tray in a single layer along with the peeled garlic cloves. Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.
- When the tomatoes have about 15 minutes left in the oven, heat a Dutch oven (or another large pot) over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the diced shallot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt & pepper and stir in the tomato paste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and add them to the soup pot along with the garlic (plus the juicy bits on the baking sheet), broth, fresh basil, and thyme leaves. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5-8 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Go in with an immersion blender until you’ve reached your desired consistency - either completely smooth or with a little texture. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and stir in the vegan butter if using. Serve with any optional add-ins such as cashew cream, coconut cream, or non-dairy milk, and drizzle with more olive oil.
- Let the soup cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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