Thanks to blended cashews that provide a creamy texture, this vegan tomato bisque recipe is dairy free. It’s loaded with flavor and very easy to make, requiring basic ingredients plus fresh basil for good measure!
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Current mood: it’s still soup season but I want fresher, warm weather flavors! Sounds like a vegan tomato bisque with fresh basil is in order, don’t you think?!
If you have a lot of experience with plant-based cooking, then you are probably familiar with using soaked and blended cashews to add creamy consistency in lieu of dairy. The cashews also add some bonus protein and healthy fat too!
To create a non dairy tomato soup, I decided to use this method. If you aren’t familiar with how to soak cashews to use in vegan recipes, I included my expert tips in the post. Be sure to check them out.
Tomato soup made with cashews is still very rich and creamy. Plus, it relies heavily on pantry ingredients and comes together in under an hour (even less if you soak the cashews ahead of time). A recipe as easy as this one can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner with a sandwich or salad. Yum!
How to Make Vegan Tomato Soup
The full recipe card for vegan tomato bisque is at the bottom of the post. Scroll down or click the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the post to see it.
- Soak the cashews. You can do an overnight (or several hour) soak or follow my tips for a quick soak in the next section.
- Gather the rest of the ingredients. Chop the onion.
- Cook the onion, garlic, and seasonings in olive oil in a soup pot.
- Add the canned tomatoes with their juices and the soaked cashews.
- Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and blend with a handheld (immersion blender).
- Serve, top with basil, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Soaking cashews: For best results, soak the cashews overnight or for at least 6 hours. Place them in a bowl, cover with water, and leave at room temperature. Be sure to change the water every 6 hours. If you are short on time, you can also quick-soak cashews. Place them in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the saucepan, and let them soak for 30 minutes.
- Ingredients: Feel free to adjust the seasonings in this vegan tomato bisque to suit your preferences. I like to add a little sugar to balance the acidity. You can also add more oregano, parsley, and basil if you want to go heavy on the seasonings.
- Immersion blender: I use this handheld blender to blend the soup, but you can also use an upright blender. Blend the soup in batches, pouring each blended batch into a large bowl before blending the rest of the soup. Be sure to let steam escape while blending, either by leaving the plastic cap in the middle of the blender lid off or by leaving the whole lid off and covering the blender with a dish towel.
- Leftovers: Keep extra vegan tomato bisque in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until warmed through.
- Freezing: To freeze this nondairy soup, let it cool completely then transfer to freezer-safe bags or containers. Leave an inch of headspace to allow the soup to expand. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Reheat from frozen or thawed.
- Toppings: I love to add fresh basil to this recipe. If you’re wondering how to cut basil for this purpose, see my tutorial on How to Cut Basil Chiffonade.
Serving Ideas
Serve this tomato soup with grilled cheese, my Veggie Cheese Sandwich, or the Spinach Basil Pesto Quesadillas. If you want the full meal to be vegan, make one of these salads to go with it: Chopped Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing or Italian Marinated Green Bean Salad.
I also enjoy tomato bisque on the side of my Greek Lentil Salad, Rotisserie Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups, and Sugar Snap Pea Quinoa Salad.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
Love vegan tomato bisque? Try the Vegan Cauliflower and Parsnip Soup, Creamy Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup, or the Slow Cooker Mushroom Barley Stew. For another tomato soup recipe, see the Tomato Tortellini Soup with Fresh Tomatoes.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
Vegan Tomato Bisque with Cashews
Equipment
- Soup pot or Dutch oven
- Immersion blender (handheld blender)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews - unroasted and unsalted
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion - chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt - more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
- 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes - with their juices
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar - optional, more or less to taste
- ¼ cup basil chiffonade
Instructions
- First, soak the cashews. You can do this overnight, for at least 6 hours, or use the quick-soak method for 30 minutes. To soak overnight or for 6 to 8 hours, place the cashews in a bowl, cover with water, and let them sit at room temperature. Drain before using. For the quick-soak method, place the cashews in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let them sit for 30 minutes. Drain before using.
- Warm the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes until fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and soaked cashews to the pot. Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Uncover the soup and turn off the heat. Use an immersion (handheld) blender to puree the soup in the pot. You can also use an upright blender. Transfer the soup contents in batches to the blender, pouring each blended batch into a large bowl before blending the next batch. Be sure to take safety precautions: do not fill the blender all the way and let steam escape either by leaving the plastic cap in the middle of the lid off or covering the blender with a dish towel instead of the lid.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top with basil, and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post).
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through.
- To freeze the soup, let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Leave a little headspace to allow for the soup expanding during freezing. Reheat from frozen or thawed.
Nutrition
Enjoy! – Lizzie
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