Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Printer-Friendly)

A velvety tomato and basil blend paired with crisp garlic sourdough dippers for a comforting meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Soup

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 cans (14 oz each) whole peeled tomatoes
05 - 1 cup vegetable broth
06 - 1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 1 teaspoon sugar
09 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
13 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish

→ For the Garlic Sourdough Dippers

14 - 4 thick slices sourdough bread
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
16 - 2 cloves garlic, halved

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 4–5 minutes until translucent.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add canned tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, pepper, sugar, and red pepper flakes.
04 - Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add coconut milk and fresh basil leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
06 - Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, carefully transfer to a blender in batches. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - While soup simmers, preheat oven broiler or heat grill pan. Brush both sides of sourdough slices with olive oil. Toast until golden and crisp, approximately 2 minutes per side.
08 - Rub warm toasted bread with cut sides of garlic cloves. Slice into strips for dipping.
09 - Pour hot soup into bowls, garnish with fresh basil, and accompany with garlic sourdough dippers.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's naturally vegan and creamy without any dairy, so everyone at the table feels included.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners don't have to be stressful.
  • Those garlic dippers have an addictive crunch that makes you want to keep dunking long after the soup is gone.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooking the tomato paste in hot oil—this step builds flavor depth that raw tomato paste can never give you.
  • Blend the soup while it's still hot because cold soup doesn't puree as smoothly, and you want that restaurant-quality texture.
  • Add the fresh basil at the very end because cooking it too long turns it dark and bitter instead of bright and alive.
03 -
  • Taste the soup after simmering but before adding basil, then adjust the salt and sugar together—they balance each other in ways that transform the final bowl.
  • If your soup breaks or looks separated after blending, whisk in a splash of vegetable broth off heat and it will come back together.
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