This classic tomato soup recipe is simple and easy to make. Rich, creamy, and luxuriously thick, yet made without heavy cream or dairy, this easy Creamy Tomato Soup recipe is a healthy (and vegan!) option for any weekday lunch or supper.
I know, it’s summer and the temperature is already starting to climb, so the last thing that most people are probably thinking about is a hot bowl of tomato soup. But I’m not most people. I have always loved a good bowl of tomato soup. Paired with a grilled cheese or even just a slice of toast topped with melty cheese, Creamy Tomato Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods.
However, a lot of premade soups and tomato soup recipes can be pretty unhealthy. Loaded with lots of sodium and sugar or topped off with a couple of glugs of heavy cream, it is hard to find a healthy and easy tomato soup option that satisfies. So for this Creamy Tomato Soup recipe, my goal was to develop a tomato soup that was thick, creamy, and luxurious, but was simple enough to whip up for lunch or a quick weeknight dinner. Plus, it had to be healthy so I could feel good about eating it.
How Do You Make Healthy Creamy Tomato Soup?
This Creamy Tomato Soup brings that rich and creamy mouthfeel, but in a completely lightened up recipe. My secret ingredient – beans!
My inspiration for adding the beans to make this creamy soup came from a combination of this Classic Tomato Soup recipe and a pureed white bean soup recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. Adding just a cup of white beans to the soup gives this healthy tomato soup that creamy and thick texture without the need for adding heavy cream. Plus, by substituting vegan butter and omitting the parmesan rind, this soup can easily be made vegan as well. And don’t worry, you won’t taste the beans once everything is pureed up together. They just add a nice, thick creaminess that balances out the tomato flavor.
So what else is in this Creamy Tomato Soup?
- Carrot & Onion: I like to add a diced onion and one shredded carrot when cooking up this soup. As it cooks, the carrot will add some natural sweetness that cuts the acidity of the tomatoes, allowing you to use less sugar at the end.
- Butter: Using just a tablespoon of butter adds to the richness of this soup without adding too many calories or fat. To keep the soup vegan, substitute vegan butter or substitute olive or avocado oil.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste helps develop the rich tomato flavor just a little deeper.
- Vegetable or Chicken Stock: I like to use my own homemade chicken stock, but any good vegetable or chicken stock will do.
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes: Nothing beats homemade tomato soup using fresh roasted tomatoes, but let’s be honest, most of the time you don’t have a whole mountain of tomatoes laying around. Not to mention the extra time it takes to roast them all. For this quick and easy tomato soup recipe, I opted to use a large can of crushed tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes have a rich tomato flavor, canned at the peak of freshness. Make sure to use a quality brand, as the brand can affect flavor. I like to use Cento or Muir Glen.
- Parmesan Rind: After I grate everything I can from a block of parmesan, I always keep the rinds in a small ziplock baggy in my freezer. This way they are always on hand to throw in when I am simmering soups or sauces. The parmesan adds some extra umami and depth of flavor to any soup or sauce. However, if you don’t have a rind or want to keep it vegan, you can always omit this.
- Oat Milk: To enhance the creaminess of this Creamy Tomato Soup just a bit more, I stir in some oat milk at the end just after blending. I find that oat milk has this extra creaminess, similar to what you get from whole milk or heavy cream, but without the extra fat and calories. I use oat milk as a substitute often, especially in my tea or coffee.
- Sugar: Depending on the sweetness of your canned tomatoes (which can vary), you may find that the soup needs just a hint of sugar added at the end to help balance out the acidity. Adding just one teaspoon of sugar will add the subtle sweetness while still keeping this Creamy Tomato Soup light and healthy.
Can I Freeze This Creamy Tomato Soup?
This Creamy Tomato Soup is quick and easy to whip up any time, but if you want to make it even easier to have on hand for any quick lunch or dinner, you can definitely freeze it as well. I like to make extra and freeze it in single servings, so we can just pull a container out of the freezer and heat it up for a quick lunch any day of the week.
Looking for More Healthy Lunch Options?
Looking for more healthy weekday lunch options? Check out some of my favorites:
- Kale and Shredded Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
- Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa
- Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, & Quinoa Power Bowl
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa, and Arugula Salad with Maple Ginger Vinaigrette
If you make this Healthy Tomato Soup recipe, be sure to let me know. Share your photos and tag me @NamasteHomeCooking on Facebook or @NamasteHomeCooking on Instagram. I love seeing that friends are making (and loving) my recipes!
Easy Creamy Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 carrot (grated)
- 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup white cannellini beans (cooked)
- 1 tbsp butter (for vegan substitute vegan butter or olive oil)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 parmesan cheese rind (optional - omit for vegan)
- 1 - 2 cups oat milk (depending on how thick/creamy you want it)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute onion and carrot in butter over medium-low heat about 10 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and cook an addition 30 seconds
- Add canned tomatoes, stock, beans, parmesan rind (if using)
- Bring to boil over medium-high heat, reduce to simmer, and cook 30 minutes
- When cooked turn off heat and remove parmesan rind, blend with an immersion blender, or for a smoother consistency blend in blender, until smooth
- Return to pot and stir in sugar, oat milk, and salt and pepper to taste
- Serve immediately or cool and freeze in air tight containers
Delish and easy!
I left out the stock and beans, and it still turned out delicious!
So glad to hear you loved it!