Easy Vegan Tomato Basil Soup

5 from 14 votes

Easy Vegan Tomato Basil Soup is creamy, dairy-free, nut-free, and made in an oven for ease. It's rich in protein, iron, and antioxidants.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Course: Main, Side Dish

Cuisine: Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 304kcal

4 pounds vine tomatoes or regular tomatoes
1 large head of garlic top trimmed about ¼-inch to expose the cloves
1 large yellow onion roughly sliced into about 1-inch-wide pieces
Generous drizzle of olive oil
Salt to taste
1 15-ounce can butter beans or white beans drained, and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked beans)
1 ½ cups vegetable broth plus more as needed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons maple syrup or sugar to taste
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
Handful of fresh basil leaves , plus more more garnish
Unsweetened oat milk or canned coconut milk, or vegan cream to taste (optional)

Preheat the oven to 420ºF.
Roast: Transfer the tomatoes, garlic, and onion to a large casserole or baking dish. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of salt. Roast for 35 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened, and the onion is golden brown.
Transfer the tomatoes and onion to a large nonreactive saucepan (ceramic or stainless steel), or to a blender.
Blend: Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skin into the saucepan along with any juice or oil remaining in the baking dish. Add the beans, vegetable broth, tomato paste, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, and basil. Blend using an immersion blender (or a blender) until smooth. (Transfer to a large saucepan if using a blender.)
Season: Cook over medium-high heat until warmed through, adding more broth, and seasoning as desired. Add oat milk for a creamier texture as needed (optional).
Garnish with chiffonade of fresh basil for serving.

Place the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a single layer for roasting so that they have space to brown. Overcrowding the baking dish will induce steaming. Browning the veggies adds much more flavor to the soup.
Use a nonreactive saucepan made from a material that will not react with acidic ingredients to warm the soup. Otherwise, the acid in the tomatoes will mix with the metal and result in an unpleasant metallic taste. Stainless steel and enamel cookware are the best options. (Uncoated aluminum and iron are both reactive.)
Storage: Refrigerate any remaining Easy Vegan Tomato Basil Soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.