Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil (Printable)

Velvety tomato and basil soup with crisp garlic sourdough dippers, perfect for a comforting meal.

# Ingredient list:

→ 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Add canned tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, pepper, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
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 and blend soup using an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, carefully transfer soup in batches to a blender. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - While soup simmers, preheat oven broiler or heat a grill pan. Brush both sides of sourdough slices with olive oil and toast until golden and crisp, approximately 2 minutes per side.
08 - Rub the warm toasted bread with the cut sides of the garlic cloves. Slice into strips suitable for dipping.
09 - Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately with garlic sourdough dippers on the side.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours simmering tomatoes, but you'll have it ready in under an hour, which feels like getting away with something.
  • The coconut milk transforms it into something genuinely creamy without any dairy guilt hanging over your head.
  • Garlic sourdough dippers turn soup into an interactive experience, and there's something deeply satisfying about that.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of cooking tomato paste in oil—it transforms it from a flat addition into something that tastes caramelized and complex.
  • Blending the soup is what makes it feel luxurious; a chunky tomato soup is fine, but this creamy version is what keeps people coming back for your recipe.
  • Basil loses its brightness if cooked too long, so add it at the end and blend just until the color is even—you want to taste fresh basil, not cooked basil.
03 -
  • Taste the soup before blending and adjust salt and sugar then—once it's smooth, it's harder to feel where the balance is.
  • An immersion blender is worth owning just for soups like this; it's faster than transferring to a regular blender and creates a better texture.
  • Save a little of the unblended soup before blending if you like a thicker consistency; stir it back in afterward for texture you can actually feel.
Go Back