Creamy Tomato Soup with Cheesy Croutons
Rich, creamy tomato soup is delicious on its own, but with cheesy croutons?! Now it’s next level tasty! This quick, easy soup packs in big flavours with minimal time and effort.
Growing up, tomato bisque was my favourite soup. I’m now a fan of all kinds of soups, from roasted cauliflower soup, to lentil soup, and even mushroom soup, but creamy tomato soup still has a special place in my heart.
My homemade (and vegan!) creamy tomato soup recipe is like a hug for your soul with that signature slightly sweet, slightly tangy flavour and rich, creamy texture. Then, as if that wasn’t already enough, it’s topped with some cheesy croutons.
And when I say cheesy croutons, let’s be clear: I’m talking mini grilled cheeses on top. Oh. Yes. If you’re looking for a comfort food meal to nourish you body and soul, it doesn’t get much better than this!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Tomato Soup With Cheesy Croutons Recipe
- Vegan. The creamy soup gets its velvety texture from cashew cream, while you can use your favourite melty plant-based cheese to make the grilled cheese croutons.
- Simple ingredients. This recipe is a testament to the power of simple, wholesome ingredients coming together to create something truly magical.
- Quick and easy. No need to simmer for hours on end to develop complex flavour—this tomato soup is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- Hearty comfort food. Not only is it warm and delicious, but this soup is also satisfying thanks to the cashew cream and cheesy croutons.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Olive oil
- Mirepoix – Yellow onion, carrot, and celery form the base of flavour for our creamy tomato soup.
- Garlic – A key player in any tomato bisque worth its salt, I add plenty of garlic cloves here!
- Tomatoes – Since these are the star the soup, ensure that you get the best tomatoes you can find. Using large, juicy tomatoes is great. You can also use high-quality canned tomatoes!
- Raw sugar/coconut sugar– Just a bit cuts the acidity.
- Dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable broth – I use my homemade vegetable broth, which is easy to make from kitchen scraps!
- Cashew cream – Cashew cream really helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a delightfully creamy touch to the soup. Don’t skip this step! If you have vegan heavy cream on hand, you could also use it here.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Soup With Cheesy Croutons
- Cook the mirepoix. Warm the oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, carrot, celery, and garlic and sweat for about 8 minutes, or until softened.
- Simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, dried oregano, salt and pepper, followed by the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes.
- Make the grilled cheese croutons. In a grilled cheese maker or skillet, prepare a grill cheese sandwich, then cut it into cubes.
- Puree. Blend the soup in a traditional blender or by using an immersion blender. Season to taste.
- Make it creamy. Stir in the cashew cream, adjusting the amount to your preferences.
- Finish. Divide the creamy tomato soup into bowls, then add the cheesy croutons on top.
Tips for Success
- Blend safely. Puree the soup in two or three batches; always let it cool a bit before transferring it to the blender. Vent the lid slightly to prevent steam build-up and drape a towel over the top of the blender to catch any splatters.
- Get the smoothest soup. A traditional blender will give you the creamiest, smoothest results, but for an easier option, you can use an immersion blender. Just note that your soup will be a bit chunkier.
- Season to taste. Particularly if you use fresh tomatoes, you’ll need to adjust the seasonings after making the soup. If it’s too acidic, for example, add more sugar a pinch at a time until it mellows.
More Creamy Tomato Soup Toppings
- An extra dollop of cashew cream. I find that this gives an extra smooth texture when having your first bites. You can also swirl in vegan sour cream.
- Red pepper flakes. Gavin will tell you to add as much red pepper flakes on top for a spicy kick.
- Fresh herbs. You can also be a purist and chiffonade some basil leaves to sprinkle on the surface.
- A little vegan shredded cheese. Or try homemade vegan Parmesan cheese.
- Crispy chickpeas. Instead of or in addition to the cheesy croutons, float crispy roasted chickpeas on the creamy tomato soup.
Serving Suggestions
Even though there’s already bread in the soup thanks to the croutons, I always want to soak up every last bit of broth from the bowl, so I have my creamy tomato soup with a piece of no-knead bread, olive bread, or vegan dinner rolls.
For a lighter pairing, serve this soup with a salad. Chickpea panzanella salad and easy vegan Caesar salad would both work well with the flavours in this recipe.
How to Store Leftovers
You’ll need to store the grilled cheese croutons separate from the creamy tomato soup. The grilled cheese croutons can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, simply warm the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave, then microwave and add the grilled cheese croutons before serving.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
The creamy tomato soup can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. However, the grilled cheese croutons do not freeze well and should be made fresh when serving the soup from frozen. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Comforting Vegan Soup Recipes
- Vegan Cheeseburger Soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Loaded Potato Soup
- Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Enjoy friends! If you make this creamy tomato soup, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Creamy Tomato Soup with Cheesy Croutons
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 56 ounces fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped, keep liquids
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar/coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- salt & pepper to taste, I use ¼ teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons – ¼ cup cashew cream, or vegan heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.
- Add the onions, carrot, celery and minced garlic. Stir together and allow to sweat for about 8 minutes, to soften and release natural juices from the veggies.
- Add in the tomatoes, sugar, dried oregano and salt and pepper. Stir together. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir again.
- Bring to a boil, and then to a low rolling simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Scoop out the soup and in a few batches (so you don’t overfill your blender and it doesn’t overflow) pour into your blender. If you have a glass blender, ensure it cools down a bit first!
- Press the soup setting or blend until fully blended out. Pour back into the soup pot and mix the soup together one more time to combine everything. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Add in the cashew cream (up to 1/4 cup, taste after 2 tablespoons to see if you want more) and stir to combine. Serve the soup and top with your favourite toppings and enjoy!
Cheesy Croutons
- While the soup is simmering, In a grilled cheese maker or on a skillet, prepare grill cheese sandwich to your likening until very crisp. Cut into cubes and add a few to soup immediately before serving.
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Oh my goodness. I’ve just made and eaten this. It was absolutely delicious! What a fantastic, easy recipe. Will definitely be a regular on my weekly repertoire
Thank you so much Arpita! We’re happy you like it!
What do you make the grilled cheese croutons with? Vegan cheese? What brand?
Hi Whitn!
I’m pretty sure I used Violife Cheddar Slices or Follow Your Heart slices here! I just made a grilled cheese sandwich, let it cool slightly, then I sliced it into cubes. I also used Dave’s Killer Bread. I hope that helps!
Hello, how many normal size cans of chopped tomatoes will I need to use that equals 56oz?
Hi May thank you so much for reading! What do you consider a normal can you have 7oz, 14.8 oz, 24 oz, and even bigger. If you can tell me what you normally get I can definitely point you in the right direction. I hope this helps!
Thank you for your reply! The ones I buy are usually 400g. Or if I use fresh tomatoes, around how many grams should I use?
Hi May! You’re welcome with that size can, you can use 4 cans. If you’re using fresh tomatoes it’s about 1.58 kg. If you’re having any issues with the conversions you can use this site to help.
https://www.calculateme.com/weight/ounces/to-grams/56
It’s a conversion website.
Awesome, thank you so much!
No problem at all.
Such a great soup recipe! I’m always looking for something other than sauce to make with my garden tomatoes when they all seem to come ripe at once. I made it with the all the extras in the notes. My son’s girlfriend said it was the best tomato soup she’s ever had and she is a serious tomato soup fan. Thanks so much for this new favorite!
Awesome Maxine. We’re always looking for interesting things to do with tomatoes so we’re glad that you found this useful. Thanks for leaving such a nice comment!
One of the best cream of tomato soups I’ve had!! I splurged on the Cento canned tomatoes for the occasion. I made cashew cream for the cream and had grilled cheeses on the side. Perfect soup for a family who had oral surgery.
Thank you SO much for sharing Mireile!! I’m so happy to hear this and the Cento canned tomatoes are SO good right?! Wow love your comment so much and so happy this worked so perfectly; hope the family heals up so well!
The last of my year’s garden tomatoes sat on my counter crying to be used and I was making a fresh loaf of bread so I turned to you! This soup is magnificent! I would never dream of putting all these veggies into tomato soup after learning to make the kind with milk and tomatoes from the can. At any rate the flavor was beyond my expectations. I didn’t have any cashew cream made, but remembered a jar of cashew concentrate that I’d bought and used it instead…And I can barely make anything without a little spice, so added fresh jalapeno to the batch of veggies being sautéed.
I knew you’d save the day. Thanks so much for sharing again.
Hi Randy,
This is so lovely to hear—thrilled that you loved this recipe, and got to put those tomatoes to use! Thank you for taking the time to share a review—it means the world to us.