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This creamy vegan tomato bisque is the ultimate comfort food! It’s one of the easiest soups to make for cold winter days or anytime you’re craving a bowl of hot soup. Made with minimal ingredients, anyone can whip up this homemade vegan tomato soup with coconut milk in under 30 minutes.

Completed Vegan Tomato Bisque with Thyme in a white bowl against a light background.

This delicious easy vegan tomato soup with a piece of homemade vegan cornbread, vegan focaccia bread, or buffalo cauliflower veggie wrap will transport you to warm creamy tomato-infused heaven. It’s the perfect lunch or light dinner in my book.

Add on a topping for the soup and pair it with different side dishes to create different combinations for meals with this easy soup recipe.

If you love easy soups, I think you will enjoy vegan broccoli potato soup, vegan zucchini soup, roasted parsnip soup, and corn chowder. They’re all a part of my regular meal rotation.

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Ingredients for Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup Recipe

The best vegan tomato soup with coconut milk is made using simple, easy-to-find ingredients.

Ingredients for Tomato Bisque measured out on a white surface.

Substitutions or Variations

  • Want to use fresh tomatoes? If your summer garden is giving you more tomatoes than you can use, they’re perfect for this soup. Peel and chop the tomatoes and add to the pan with the onions and garlic that are partially cooked. You may need to cook the soup a bit longer. About four to five (1-pound) Roma tomatoes are equal to one 28-ounce can of tomatoes.
  • Vegan tomato basil soup. Swap out the thyme for fresh basil.
  • No coconut milk? Make a regular vegan tomato soup instead with vegetable broth.

How To Make Vegan Tomato Bisque

Process of cooking onion and garlic in black pan against white background.
Process shot showing addition of spices and herbs to black pan.

Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. When hot, add the chopped onion and garlic to the skillet. Saute lightly for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 2: Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients. Cover with a lid and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes or until heated through and fragrant.

Process shot of using immersion blender into black pan.

Step 3: Use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender and blend to desired creaminess. Serve with a dollop of coconut milk on top and a sprinkle of thyme.

HINT: If using a traditional blender, be sure to let it cool first and transfer to the blender carefully to avoid burns.

Expert Tips

  • Prefer chunky soup? Skip the blending.
  • Add some toppings. Jazz up your bowl of soup with a little texture by adding some croutons, crushed rosemary vegan crackers, sesame seeds, or sprouts over the top of your soup.
  • Use canned coconut milk. Other plant-based milks will not provide the same ultra-creamy texture as coconut milk.

FAQs for Vegan Tomato Bisque with Thyme

What is the difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque?

The biggest difference between the two is the addition of cream. Bisque soups usually have some type of dairy added to give them a richer, creamier texture. In this vegan tomato soup, coconut milk adds this creaminess instead of dairy milk.

Is tomato bisque vegan?

The traditional recipe of tomato bisque can be vegetarian if it is made with dairy milk and doesn’t contain any chicken broth, but it isn’t vegan. However, you can easily make it vegan by using plant-based milk to replace any dairy in the recipe. My favorite is coconut milk.

Does the coconut milk make vegan tomato bisque taste like coconut?

No, the flavors of the tomatoes and seasonings are strong enough to camouflage any coconut flavor the milk may contain. But canned coconut milk does mimic the creamy texture of heavy cream or whole milk really well.

Completed Vegan Tomato Bisque with Thyme in a white bowl against a light background.

How to Store

  • Make ahead: Vegan creamy tomato soup is perfect to make ahead of time and use for meals during the week. You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer and use it as needed.
  • Refrigerator: After cooling, store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
  • Freezer: Transfer the cooled soup to airtight containers and store it in the freezer for up to three months.
  • Reheat: If frozen, thaw first in the refrigerator overnight. Return the soup to a pan and cook over medium heat until heated through. You can also heat it in the microwave.

Other Vegan Soups to Consider….

If you tried this vegan tomato bisque with thyme recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!

Vegan Tomato Bisque with Thyme

5 from 32 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
completed Vegan Tomato Bisque with Thyme in a white bowl against a light background
Pin Print
This creamy vegan tomato bisque is the ultimate comfort food! It’s one of the easiest soups to make for cold winter days or anytime you’re craving a bowl of hot soup. Made with minimal ingredients, anyone can whip up this homemade vegan tomato soup in no time.

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 28 ounces of diced, crushed, or pureed tomatoes
  • ½ cup of coconut milk from a can, more for garnish
  • 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar (or agave nectar)
  • ½ teaspoon of salt (or leave out if canned tomatoes are salted)
  • ½ teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh or dried thyme more for garnish
  • 1 cup of water

Instructions 

  • In a medium pot, heat olive oil on medium-low heat, add chopped onion and garlic and saute lightly for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes and all remaining ingredients. Simmer on medium heat, covered, for 10 minutes until heated through and fragrant.
  • Serve as is (chunky) or blend to desired creaminess (recommended), using either an immersion blender or by transferring to a blender and pureeing in batches. If using a traditional blender, be sure to let it cool first.
  • Serve with a dollop of coconut milk on top and a sprinkle of thyme.

Notes

  • Prefer chunky soup? Skip the blending.
  • Add some toppings. Jazz up your bowl of soup with a little texture by adding some croutons, crushed crackers, sesame seeds, or sprouts over the top of your soup.
  • Use canned coconut milk. Other plant-based milk will not provide the same ultra-creamy texture as coconut milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 168kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 563mgPotassium: 720mgFiber: 5gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 453IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 3mg

Additional Info

Author: Renee Press
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Method: Stovetop
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Renee Press

Renee Press is the founder of Fire and Earth Kitchen in Seattle WA. which offers cooking classes, food coaching, and chef services. She’s on a mission to make vegan, gluten-free cooking easy, accessible, and delicious for everyone. fireandearthkitchen.com

More about Renee Press
5 from 32 votes (25 ratings without comment)

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Comments

      1. 5 stars
        I used 8 skinned & de-seeded fresh roma tomatoes instead of canned. I cooked the soup 15 minutes longer. I blended it with an immersion blender & served it with vegan garlic bread. Very tasty. A GREAT recipe. Thanks for sharing. 🍻

        Reply