Easy and Rich Vegan Tomato Bisque
Ginny McMeans
Published:
October 11, 2014
Last Modified:
July 29, 2025
My Vegan Tomato Bisque strikes the perfect balance between sweet and savory. It has an ultra creamy texture, made from simple ingredients, and is guaranteed to have you coming back for more!
My husband and I love soup and have it often. Even throughout the summer. Homemade Split Pea Soup and Rich Tomato Bisque are our favorites.
Not necessarily in that order. Of course, he is putting crackers in his – no matter what – but I like a big spoonful all the way down to the last drop.
Originally hailing from France, traditional bisques are thickened by grinding shellfish shells into a paste and then cooking that paste into the soup itself. I know! I was surprised the first time I learned that fact too.
Thankfully, that’s not the only way of doing things. For our tomato bisque, we can achieve the same thick and creamy result by first making a roux from vegan butter + flour and then stirring in some thickening ingredients like full-fat coconut milk and tomato paste.
The result is a completely velvety, completely vegan tomato bisque. Bon appétit!
Vegan Tomato Bisque Ingredients
- Vegan butter – For sautéeing the veggies and making our roux–that butter + flour mixture that has the power to make things thick and creamy! I would use a basic and all-purpose vegan butter here (such as Miyoko’s brand or Trader Joe’s vegan butter), but you can use whichever brand you like.
- Diced yellow onion – I like the strong flavor of yellow onion for this creamy tomato soup. Don’t worry about dicing it too perfectly, it’s all getting blended in the end!
- Diced carrot – This root veggie adds sweetness to the flavor profile and brightness to the color of your bisque.
- Minced garlic – Adds a savory funk to the background of your bisque. A couple of small garlic cloves should do the trick, or 1 larger one. Too much of it could easily overpower the sweet tomato flavor!
- All-purpose flour – The other key ingredient for the roux we talked about earlier. Roux is definitely most effective when made with regular AP flour so I don’t advise swapping in any whole wheat, GF, or other alternatives here.
- Vegetable broth + Water – You need about 5 cups of liquid to make this vegan tomato soup recipe, so rather than open a second container of veggie stock (they are usually in 4-cup cartons) I just add in a cup of plain water instead. Use low sodium vegetable broth if you prefer!
- Canned whole tomatoes – The star of the show, at last! Personally, I find the flavor of canned whole tomatoes to be more reliably rich and savory as compared to trying your luck with fresh tomatoes. Use the whole can–juices and all!
- Tomato paste – In addition to providing an extra boost of umami flavor, tomato paste helps to thicken the soup too.
- Bay leaf – Rather than being a strong flavor at the forefront, bay leaf adds a subtly woodsy note to the background of your soup.
- Dried basil – Gives a stronger flavor as compared to fresh basil! This ingredient is optional, sometimes I include it and sometimes I don’t. It’s all in the taste!
- Full-fat coconut milk – Very important note here, be sure to use full fat canned coconut milk. We are really counting on the richness of the coconut milk to create the thick texture of this bisque so the fat content is a must!
- Sea salt + ground black pepper – The universally flavor enhancing duo.
- Tabasco sauce – Another optional ingredient, sometimes a few dashes of tabasco is an especially nice finish on this bisque, especially on cold winter days!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sauté and make roux. Melt vegan butter in a large soup pot. Add diced onions and carrots and saute, stirring often, for about 8-10 minutes until the onion looks translucent. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for 1 more minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to incorporate it into the mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 3 more minutes to cook the flour taste out of the mixture.
- Add liquids. Pour in vegetable broth and water. Stir to make sure the roux gets evenly dispersed throughout the liquid.
- Add tomatoes and cook. Stir in canned whole tomatoes and tomato paste, then add the bay leaf and dried basil (if you are using it). Cover and let the mixture simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often to make sure it is not sticking.
- Cool and blend. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly, then remove the bay leaf. Transfer the soup to an upright blender, or leave it in the pot if you have an immersion blender. Blend the soup until smooth and creamy. If using an upright blender, you may have to do this in batches.
- Reheat and finish. Return the tomato soup to the pot by pouring it through a sieve or fine mesh strainer. Gently reheat the soup over medium-low heat and stir in the coconut milk, salt, and black pepper. Take care not to let the bisque boil or become too hot once the coconut milk is added–as this could cause it to separate.
- Taste and serve! Taste to see if you need more salt + pepper or tabasco. Ladle your tomato soup into bowls and serve!
Watch Us Make Easy and Rich Vegan Tomato Bisque
How To Store
Refrigerating Allow your tomato bisque to cool before pouring it into an airtight container. Refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
Freezing You can freeze this tomato bisque, but due to the coconut milk, it will likely have a less pleasant texture. If you know you will be freezing your bisque, I’d advise only adding coconut milk to the amount you will be eating and leaving the rest of it coconut milk free. Once you defrost and are ready to eat it again, you can then add the coconut milk and the texture will be much better!
Thawing The night before you plan to eat your tomato bisque, transfer it to the fridge so that it can slowly defrost overnight.
Reheating Gently warm your leftover tomato bisque over low-medium heat. If it seems too thick, you can always add a splash of vegetable broth or water to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Vegan Tomato Bisque Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp vegan butter
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 32 oz. (1 qt.) vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 28 oz. canned whole tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried basil (optional)
- 8 oz. full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- a couple of dashes tabasco sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the vegan butter in a large soup pot. Add the diced onions and carrots and saute, stirring often, for about 8-10 minutes until the onion looks translucent. Add the garlic and continue sautéeing for 1 more minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to incorporate it into the mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 3 more minutes to cook the flour taste out of the mixture.
- Add the vegetable broth and water, stirring to make sure the roux gets evenly mixed into the liquid.
- Stir in the canned whole tomatoes and tomato paste, then add the bay leaf and dried basil (if you are using it). Cover and let the mixture simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often to make sure it is not sticking.
- Remove soup from heat and let it cool slightly, then remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the soup to an upright blender, or leave it in the pot if you have an immersion blender. Blend the tomato bisque until smooth and creamy. If using an upright blender, you may have to do this in batches.
- Return the tomato soup to the pot by pouring it through a sieve or fine mesh strainer. Gently reheat the soup over low-medium heat and stir in the coconut milk, salt, and black pepper. Take care not to let the bisque boil or become too hot once the coconut milk is added–this could cause it to separate.
- Taste to see if you need more salt + pepper or tabasco, then ladle your tomato soup into bowls and serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
56 responses to “Easy and Rich Vegan Tomato Bisque”
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I’m totally a soup in the summer kinda girl, so I’m sure this will make an appearance year round. It looks so rich and comforting (yet so healthy)!
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Thanks Heather! It really is pure comfort. 🙂
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We love soup year-round too! This looks fantastic – so silky smooth and creamy!
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Thanks so much Martha! I love your support.
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I love how rich and creamy this soup looks. I love using full fat coconut milk for this very reason.
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You are definitely a good cook Nutmeg Nanny!
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It is cold where I am right now. I could SO go for a big bowl of this!
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I am jealous of your weather Rebecca! Thanks too!
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I’ve actually never had tomato bisque. I need to remedy that right away, this looks so delicious! I love the addition of tabasco, yum!
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The spicy kick turned out really good Christine!
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pure comfort food
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🙂
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I absolutely love tomato soup – and with a cream base, even better. Love the use of coconut milk instead. Will try that!
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It is darn good Amy!
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Looks fabulous Ginny! I would make a ton and store some in the freezer so I could get my tomato soup fix any time!
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You are a brilliant person Marjory!
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This soup looks fantastic! I have been fighting a cold and this sounds awesome right now!
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Thanks Stephanie and feel better.
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I’ve been on a tomato soup kick lately. The color of this looks perfect!
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Thanks! Tomato soup always sounds good to me too.
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I recently just posted a tomato soup recipe which even my kids surprisingly ate and loved!! The hubby however is still not a fan. Yours looks yummy!
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Those darn husbands – hahaha. Thanks Brenda.
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I can never turn down a good bisque!
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🙂
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Oh my goodness … that looks incredible! I wish I saw this earlier because I attempted a bisque tonight that just didn’t work out so great — next time I am trying your version!
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Wonderful Sarah! I think you’ll love it.
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I love how thick and rich this soup looks…perfect for dipping a heel of crusty bread!
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My thoughts exactly! 🙂 Thanks Kirsten.
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This bisque looks so rich and creamy, I want to slurp it with a straw. Or plant my face and slurp. I’ll play it by ear. All I know is I want this!!
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Hahaha – thanks so much Angela!
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Gorgeous! Beautiful photos!
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Thank you so much Karissa! That makes me feel great!
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Tomato bisque is definite favorite of mine! Gonna make a big batch of this to take as my work lunches!
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Fantastic Amanda!!!
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This is spectacular. I see this on my to do list soon. Gorgeous photos.
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That means so much to me Kim! Thanks so much!
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My whole family LOVED this soup! I have been trying to find the perfect creamy tomato soup for having with vegan grilled cheeze sandwiches and this is it. I used No-Chicken broth and fire roasted tomatoes. So yummy!
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That is fantastic Pilar! You have made my day 🙂
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This looks delicious! 🙂
Just to let you know, when referring to soups, the word “bisque” means a soup with a shellfish base.
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Thanks Amy and that sure shows you my ignorance about shellfish. I always thought bisque meant a thicker cream base. Here a coconut cream base. I can’t change the title now because it is tied into so many things but I absolutely know now. Thanks again!
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This soup is awesome…i’m getting ready to make my second round of it. The only thing I changed in it was 1/2 yellow onion, 1/2 red onion and one lg shallot in place of just one yellow onion. Thanks for putting this recipe out there! Vermont has been very cold and soup 3 times a week is just not enough!
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Just a question.your instructions say to add garlic, however I don’t see it anywhere on the ingredient list. How much do I need to put in?
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Thanks for the heads up Janice. I have changed recipe cards lately and I must have missed that. Thanks and it is 2 small garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped. Right after sautéing the onion and carrot. I fixed the recipe 🙂
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This looks like the perfect warming soup for fall and a great meal prep soup to keep in the fridge! Gorgeous color!
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Yum I love fall-time soups!!
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I am psyched to see that you used a roux to thicken this soup. I bet it has a dreamy texture as a result! -
I am a huge soup lover as well as a tomato lover so can’t wait to try this soup! Delicious! -
Hi, is the coconut taste detectable in the soup? Even a tiny bit? I live tomato bisque and need to find a vegan one; this recipe looks amazing, but I do not want it to taste like coconut milk. Thank you!
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To play it safe Melissa – use Thai lite coconut milk in the can. It’s usually in the International section of the grocery store.
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I have never liked tomato soup in my life, but this recipe is AMAZING!!! I made it for a client and I will make it again. The only things I would change is use fresh tomatoes instead of canned anf use a low sodium tomato broth. I didn’t add any salt other than what was in the tomatoes and broth and it was still too salty for my taste (personal preference). I also added nutrional yeast to my own bowl. Yummy! This will definitely become one of my go to soups!
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Great recipe! Eazy, creamy even without the cream. -
I’m lazy so used frozen carrots (had to pick them out a bag of frozen mix veggies) and blended in my Ninja before heating the entire soup (did this before step 8). I also skipped the sieve. Turned out fantastic. I also thought salt was enough from the broth/salted butter, so I didn’t add any extra.-
Great job Shani!
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Best Vegan Tomato Bisque Soup Ever! Whole family enjoyed it. Great with ciabatta bread. -
I have made this receipe several times in the crackpot. It is good as a soup, as a base for pasta sauce, or with vegan meatballs (Trader Joe’s). I have never gotten any complaints. A slight modification is I add an entire bag of baby carrots and make my own stock with 1 ove of garlic, the other half of the onion, and basil, parsley, and vegan bouillon. -
Great tomato bisque! I’d probably start with 1/3 can of the coconut milk to start and go from there by taste.
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