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This creamy tomato soup is completely dairy free but you’d never be able to tell from the taste! Plus it’s loaded with fresh ingredients and ready in only 30 minutes.
Update: This recipe was originally published in 2017 and has been republished with all new photos.
Nothing is more comforting than a bowl of hot soup and this 30 Minute Dairy Free Tomato Basil Soup tops the list for me.
As a child I loathed tomato soup. I know. I know. Something was clearly wrong with me. I recall one time being made to sit at the dining room table after everyone else had eaten and left the table. I had to stay until I finished. It was one of those pivotal childhood moments that sticks with you. It felt like an eternity but was probably 15 minutes. In my frustration I played with my soup instead of actually eating it. When I turned around I discovered that in my effort to avoid eating the soup I’d inadvertently (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) been flicking it all over the wall behind me. There were splotches of tomato soup everywhere. I was in big trouble and had to scrub that wall clean!
Thankfully I am no longer splattering tomato soup on the walls, but I’m still not a fan of canned tomato soup. It’s a little meh. You know what’s not meh? My 30 Minute Dairy Free Tomato Basil Soup.
This soup is rich, flavorful, and creamy. I absolutely love it and I’m certain you will too.
For this recipe you’ll need (full list of ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below):
- Olive or avocado oil
- White or yellow onion
- Minced garlic
- Fresh tomatoes
- Chicken or vegetable stock/broth
- Tomato paste
- Canned coconut milk
- Fresh basil
- A few simple seasonings
The tomatoes simmer in chicken stock, garlic, and onion. This gives the soup a richness of flavor that a boring can of tomato soup lacks.
The coconut milk adds creaminess and I swear you’re not going to miss the dairy. (You won’t use much so there is absolutely no coconut flavor in the finished soup.)
I’ve included plenty of fresh basil because fresh herbs make everything better, right? Answer: yes.
What kind of tomatoes work best in this soup?
For this recipe I use 3 lbs of tomatoes. Sometimes I like to use up the tomatoes I have on hand so I may mix medium sized tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. If you want to do something like that keep in mind that 15 – 20 cherry tomatoes equals about 1 lb and 3 medium tomatoes also equal 1 lb. So you could use 20 cherry tomatoes and 6 medium tomatoes or some combination that gets you to the 3 lb mark. Or just use a food scale to weight it all so you know you get it right.
What kind of coconut milk should you use?
I recommend using canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk. Full fat just means it doesn’t say light on the label. The ingredient list should be coconut, water, and guar gum. It’s really easy to find at every grocery store (usually on the international foods aisle) and it’s something you can keep in the pantry for months. Just give it a good stir when you open it because it does separate.
Can you sub another milk?
I haven’t tested this recipe with an alternate milk and personally would stick with the canned coconut milk. It’s thick and adds a creaminess to this soup that you won’t achieve with others.
More 30 minute soup recipes:
30 Minute Dairy Free Loaded Potato Soup
Healthy 30 Minute Hamburger Soup
30 Minute Dairy Free Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 white or yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 3 lbs fresh tomatoes
- 32 oz chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk, unsweetened
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the oil to a soup pot on medium-high to medium heat. Once hot, add sliced onion and minced garlic. Saut̩ for approximately 3 Р5 minutes or until onion wilts and becomes a bit translucent.
- Add tomatoes and chicken stock to your pot. (No need to chop the tomatoes. We'll blend everything later.) Cover and cook on medium-high heat until tomato skin wrinkles and pulls back from tomato flesh. This typically takes 10 to 15 minutes.
- Pour everything into a large blender along with the tomato paste, coconut milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth. If your blender isn’t big enough you may need to blend half and then the other half.
- Pour the now creamy soup back into your pot. Stir in your finely chopped fresh basil.
- Now you’re ready to ladle the soup into bowls! Garnish with a little extra basil or a drizzle of coconut milk to really impress your guests.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I wasn’t a big tomato soup fan as a kid either. Probably because it came out of a can that started with “C” and ended with “ampbell’s”! LOL Homemade is always so much better, and LOVE that this is dairy-free!
This is so easy, fresh and THAT COLOR!! Love the addition of full fat coconut milk, takes it to the next level.
There’s something so special about tomato basil soup. I’ve always loved it since I was a kid. Your version is so lovely! Now if I could just figure out a way to somehow make a dairy-free gluten-free grilled “cheese” sandwich (that tastes legit) to dip in it.
Bahahaha good luck with that, Emily! 😉
Perfect for freezing! Gorgeous color too!
yum! this sounds so good! I have a lot of tomatoes to pick from my garden still and was looking for a tomato soup recipe. Now I have one!
I just made this! Was so quick and easy and OMG DELCIOUS!! I don’t consume dairy so instead of grilled cheese we had garlic bread with the soup. Will definitely be making again!!
This is an awesome recipe! I am allergic to gluten and dairy such as milk and heavy cream and softer cheese doesn’t sit well with me. The only change we made was adding the whole can of tomato paste which made the taste of tomato bolder and creamier. Made grilled cheese with gluten-free bread with manchego cheese…OMG, This one is a keeper!
I have plenty of homemade canned tomatoes on hand. How much would you recommend to use if I use those?
Can I make this soup & freeze this recipe for later?
Absolutely! It freezes and thaws beautifully!
Deeeelicious and creamy! Best tomato soup I’ve ever made and super easy!