Easy Tomato Soup

This classic tomato soup is packed full of flavour with a smooth and creamy texture while still being dairy-free. Made using basic pantry ingredients, this recipe is so easy and delicious!

One of my biggest food confessions is that I really don’t like tomatoes. It has been this way since I was a kid, and even though I’ve tried everything I still find they ruin many meals for me. I do however love tomato based sauces. Things that have been cooked for long periods of time and have used tomato as a base, such as bolognese or chilli.

But it is because of this prejudice that I had never actually given the classic tomato soup a chance. I didn’t really think of it in the same way that I think about a tomato based pasta sauce but rather got fixated on the soup made from tomato thing.

And so I just need to take a moment to apologise to my past self for depriving me of this food because this tomato soup is tangy, creamy, comforting and delicious. It’s so good and incredibly satisfying. Not to mention it’s also one of the easiest soups to make.

I mean, all soups are relatively easy. It’s chopping, boiling, then blending. But in this soups case the majority of the chopping has already been done for you because you are using canned tomatoes.

So apart from finding some carrots in the bottom of your fridge, everything else you probably have stored in your pantry meaning tomato soup is a viable weeknight option the night before grocery shop day.

How to make tomato soup

Start by chopping up the vegetables so that you have everything ready to go. Then grab your big soup pot and heat some olive oil. Saute the vegetables until soft. I like to add the garlic after the onion has mostly cooked to ensure I don’t burn the garlic and get that bitter taste through my soup.

Next add in the tomato paste. A new trick I have learnt recently is to really cook your tomato paste before adding any liquid. It will start to thicken, start to brown and will smell really rich. Once it gets like that, it’s good, add in all of your liquid, herbs for flavour and the canned tomatoes.

I just use the regular tin of diced tomatoes from the supermarket. This recipe uses 2 regular size ones or just one of the large cans.

Once this is all in the pot, you just turn it down and then let it simmer away for about 30 minutes, maybe a bit more if you want. You’ll see the colour start to darken and it will start to cook down and get rich and delicious.

Then it’s time to blend. I still haven’t purchased an immersion blender despite knowing that purchasing one would make my winter soup making so much easier. So because I need to use a regular blender, it’s imperative that the soup cools down before blending otherwise it will explode in your blender and you’ll be working out how to clean tomato stains from your kitchen ceiling.

Blend it up in batches and then heat again in the pot to serve. Finally, and this is totally optional but a little luxe, add in a knob of dairy-free butter and a splash of milk to make it a little extra rich and creamy.

What to serve with tomato soup?

Growing up, we always ate soup with a side of buttered toast, dunking it in the warm soup and making sure there was a little left over to wipe the bowl clean so you didn’t waste a drop.

For something a bit different here (and maybe a bit fancier), I decided to serve the soup with ‘cheesy’ croutons made with nutritional yeast and a sprinkle of garlic powder and they were so very delicious I basically just ate them all as a snack before I’d finished taking the photos.

But on another night when I was eating the leftovers, I decided to try it with a toasted (vegan) cheese sandwich because I’d read about that as being quite common in the US (please weigh in via the comments below US readers!), however it’s not something I was familiar with in Australia. Well, let me tell you there is nothing more comforting than dunking a toasted cheese sandwich in a bowl of warm tomato soup. I totally understand now.

But whatever you choose to serve alongside your soup, or if you decide to just have it stand on its own, this is going to be just the perfect easy meal for these colder nights.

This recipe is dairy-free, and depending on your choice of stock, perfect for vegetarians and vegans. It’s also gluten free as there is no thickening agent needed.

Now that I know how easy tomato soup is to make and how delicious it is, I know I’ll be making this a lot more throughout the cooler months! Also, this soup lasts for about 4-5 days in the fridge and actually just keeps tasting better with age. So make a pot at the start of the week and then enjoy a fuss free lunch or dinner as you need it!

If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with #eightforestlane as I would love to see.

5 from 3 votes

Easy Tomato Soup

This classic tomato soup is packed full of flavour with a smooth and creamy texture while still being dairy-free. Made using basic pantry ingredients, this recipe is so easy and delicious!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 people

Author: Sally

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Ingredients

• 2 carrots chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 2-3 sprigs fresh
• 1-2 bay leafs
• 1 x 800 gram can tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dairy-free butter optional
• a splash of dairy-free milk or cream optional

Instructions

• In a large pot on medium/high heat, add a small amount of olive oil and saute chopped carrots and onions for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add in the garlic and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
• Add in the tomato paste and stir through, cooking for another minute or two or until the paste starts to get a bit brown in colour.
• Add the stock, herbs and canned tomatoes and to the pot. Bring to the boil and turn the temperature down to a simmer for around 30 minutes or until a deep red colour and the flavour has deepend.
• If you have an immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot otherwise let cool down before pureeing in batches in your regular blender. Add back to the pot and optionally add a tablespoon of dairy-free butter and a splash of dairy-free milk or cream. Serve with crunchy croutons, a toasted cheese sandwich, or just on its own.

Notes

To make the croutons I served with the soup in the photos, cut up some stale bread and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic powder, a bit of nutritional yeast (for the cheesy flavour), and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 200°C until golden brown.

For vegan/vegetarian soup, make sure to use either vegetable stock or a chicken style stock such as Massel.

*I use Nuttelex Buttery to replace butter in most of my recipes as it is vegan and gives a 'buttery' flavour without being greasy. As this is an Australian product, the closest US alternative I believe is Earth Balance. Otherwise any dairy-free spread will work.

Not from Australia? Check out my US Conversion Guide. 

More easy soup recipes:

Golden Turmeric Sweet Potato Soup
Healthy Vegetable Soup with Lentils and Barley
Dairy-Free Potato and Leek Soup with Bacon Crumb
Mum’s Pumpkin Soup
Healthy & Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

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