Dairy-Free Tomato Basil Soup

Made with sauteed onions and garlic, canned tomatoes, red bell pepper, fresh basil, and cashews to thicken it, this creamy dairy-free tomato soup is so flavorful and ready to eat in 45 minutes. What really puts it over the top are the crispy grilled cheese croutons!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 220kcal

Author Stacey Eckert

Equipment

6-Quart Dutch Oven or Large Soup Pot
Blender

Ingredients

Dairy-Free Tomato Soup

1 large yellow onion sliced
3 medium garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
¼ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp maple syrup
1 large red bell pepper diced (seeded and stem removed)
½ cup raw cashews
4 cups vegetable broth
10 large fresh basil leaves (1 small bunch)

Grilled Cheese (Makes 3 sandwiches)

6 slices vegan bread (I used Ezekial bread)
9 slices vegan cheese (I used Violife provolone cheese)

Instructions

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and let it cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices.
Add the whole can of diced tomatoes (with the juice), maple syrup, diced red pepper, raw cashews, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, cover it, and let it cook for 20 minutes.
**Do not blend hot, bubbling, or boiling soup.**
Remove the lid, take the pot off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Carefully, transfer the mixture + the basil to a large blender cup. Only fill it ⅓ of the way full. Remove the small center feeder cap from the blender lid and secure the lid on top of the cup.
Fold a thick dish towel into a square and cover the feeder cap opening to catch any splatters. Hold the towel down with your hand and blend on low in small batches until it's smooth and creamy.
Transfer each batch into a large bowl until you finish all of it and then you can pour everything back into the dutch oven to keep it warm while you make the grilled cheese croutons.
Place 1 slice of bread on a plate and top it with 3 slices of dairy-free cheese. Put the second slice of bread on top of the cheese and put the sandwich into a press for 5 minutes or until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted. Slice the sandwich into 1x1 inch squares and top the soup with the croutons.

Notes

Store the leftover tomato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.

Nutrition