As days become shorter and evenings darker, it’s time to double down on soups and stews. If you’re looking for lighter soup options, look no further than this Vegan Tomato Soup. It’s rich and creamy without any dairy and roasted garlic gives it a flavor all its own.

All I want to cook this time of year is big batches of hearty warming dishes. I’ve never met a soup that doesn't appeal to me. This Vegan Tomato Soup is great because it’s savory and creamy without giving me the potential stomach ache dairy can cause. Don’t get me wrong, I do love creamy soups made with milk like Roasted Tomato Soup and I make and eat them often. On the other hand, my stomach usually has problems afterwards. That's why it's sometimes a good idea to make dairy-free soups like this one. If you’re afraid this soup won’t fill you up, add a side like Vegan Quinoa Salad and toast to dip, or load up on toppings (keep reading for more on that)!
This vegan tomato soup recipe is also a great option if you’re trying to eat more vegetarian or vegan food. Although I eat meat, I try to cook vegetarian or vegan meals a few nights per week because it’s great for my wallet. For a super budget-friendly version of this recipe, use canned tomatoes rather than fresh.
How to Make Vegan Tomato Soup Creamy Without Any Milk
My Vegan Tomato Soup not only avoids dairy, it doesn’t use a plant-based milk either. Instead, I use water. I know what you’re thinking but this soup isn’t watery at all. The base of onion and homemade thick tomato paste help to bring flavor and texture. Plus, the chopped tomatoes and roasted garlic that are blended in help give it a creamy texture.
Roasted Garlic In Tomato Soup Recipe
Roasting garlic is a super simple trick that is both impressive and useful. In this case, it gives the soup a unique and delicious flavor. To roast garlic, simply wrap a whole head in foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes. Alternately, you can cut the top off the head of garlic before wrapping it so that it’s easier to get the cloves out. Next, just peel and use. Regardless of how you do it, roasted garlic adds a flavor all its own. Furthermore, the garlic makes this recipe extra creamy when it’s blended with the tomatoes.
This soup calls for 3 to 5 heads of garlic and you can add as little or as much as you’d like. When you’re done, use leftover roasted garlic to upgrade the rest of your week’s meals. You can blend it in Vegan Turmeric Tahini Dressing, mix it into Hummus Without Tahini, add it to Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad or indulge in roasted garlic bread to name a few.

Is This A Gluten Free Vegan Creamy Tomato Soup?
Another great feature of this soup is that it is gluten free. In many soups all-purpose flour is used to thicken the base. This produces gluten when heat and water interact with the flour. My Vegan Tomato Soup uses rice flour instead. Rice flour has the same thickening properties as regular flour with the added bonus of being gluten free. Other options that can be substituted include arrowroot, cornstarch and potato flour. Regardless of the thickening agent, make sure to whisk it with cold water to form a slurry before adding it to the soup. If the rice flour is added directly to the hot soup it will congeal and form clumps.
Finally, once you’ve finished cooking your vegan creamy tomato soup it’s time to garnish. Suggested garnishes include chia seeds, red bell pepper and croutons (gluten free or regular) but feel free to get creative. A drizzle of pesto, chopped green onions, basil leaves or even edible flowers would all look great. I can’t wait to see how you make yours!
Please don't forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below if you have a chance to make this Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup!
Other Vegan Soups
- Crockpot Red Lentil Chickpea and Tomato Soup
- French Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Vegetarian Oyster Mushroom Soup Recipe
Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic

An incredibly tasty tomato soup that is dairy-free and gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Soup:
- 3-5 heads garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups tomatoes, chopped (or use canned tomatoes)
- 2 cups hot water
- ¼ cup cold water for thinning rice flour
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional Garnish:
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- ¼ cup peas
- 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons croutons
Instructions
- Start with roasting garlic. Preheat oven at 400F. Wrap garlic heads in foil and roast them for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile you can prepare the soup. Heat olive oil in a medium soup pot. Add chopped onion and sauté until onions are transparent over medium low heat.
- Add in tomato paste and cook for a minute, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Cover the pot and let the tomatoes release juice. Cook for about 10 minutes.
- Pour water over tomatoes and let them cook together for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rice flour and cold water. Pour this in the pot and stir occasionally. It will thicken in about 5 minutes.
- Remove the soup from heat, add in the roasted and peeled garlic cloves. Blend it with a hand blender. Put it back on the heat and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve in bowls garnishing with chia seeds, peas, red bell pepper and croutons.
Notes
If you are using fresh or frozen peas, just blanch them for 2 minutes. You can just skip this step for canned peas.
Keywords: tomato soup, vegan soup recipe
Your soup looks so tasty! Hope you are doing well. Thanks for the shout-out for my soup!
Thank you Kalyn! Your soup is so good that I had to share it with our readers.
I love how creamy and thick this soup is without any addition of dairy! Making soup in the Instant Pot is so easy 😉
Hi Kristen! No dairy doesn't mean a boring soup, right? Making soup in the Instant pot is a great tip! Have to try your butternut squash soup asap!