Easy and Rich Vegan Tomato Bisque

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! 

How to Make Vegan Tomato Bisque

1. Saute 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 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.
2. Add liquids. Pour in vegetable broth and water. Stir to make sure the roux gets evenly dispersed throughout the liquid. 
3. 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.
4. 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. 
5. 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. 
6. 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 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.

📋 Recipe