• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Conscientious Eater
  • START HERE
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Meal Plan
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • 8-Week Meal Plan
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • 8-Week Meal Plan
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home | Recipes | Soup

    Creamy Vegan Tomato Zucchini Soup

    Jun 15, 2023 by Faith VanderMolen

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Creamy Vegan Tomato and Zucchini Soup packs a nutritious punch without sacrificing flavor! Cashews and zucchini make this soup super creamy and flavorful without all the dairy!

    Creamy Tomato Zucchini Soup in a black bowl with golden brown croutons and black pepper on top.

    We love soup at our house. Soup is so warming, comforting AND you can easily sneak in lots of veggies! Even when it's summer time, we love a good bowl of soup. Some of our favorites vegan soups are Creamy Zuppa Toscana, Red Lentil Pumpkin Soup, Vegan Pizza Soup and this Creamy Tomato Zucchini Soup of course!

    Jump To
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe!
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How to Make Creamy Vegan Tomato Zucchini Soup
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Vegan Soup Recipes!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe!

    • You'll never know you're eating tons of zucchini when you enjoy this tomato zucchini soup. The zucchini blends right in and makes this soup super creamy.
    • If you can't do dairy, then this soup is perfect for you. While this soup is a creamy tomato soup, the "cream" aspect comes from cashews instead of dairy milk or cream. Eat up!
    • This soup freezes beautifully. Make a double batch and enjoy it in future weeks and months.
    • You'll feel like a vegan chef making homemade cashew cream. There really is nothing more satisfying than making something incredibly rich and creamy with cashews for the first time.

    Ingredients

    Zucchini, celery, chopped tomatoes, raw cashews, carrots and other ingredients measured into bowls.

    This tomato soup is loaded with veggies, many of which you can find all year round. Apart from the veggies, this recipe mainly calls for pantry staples, making it an easy meal for any night of the week!

    • Crushed tomatoes - Obviously, tomatoes make up a large portion of this tomato zucchini soup. I love to have a bunch of canned tomatoes on hand, not only for this soup, but simply as a classic pantry staple.
    • Vegetable broth - Using veggie stock cubes instead of vegetable broth from a carton will save you money and space in your pantry.
    • Cashews - Use raw cashews in this recipe. Whether you have a high speed blender or not, you'll want to soak your cashews before making cashew cream.

    See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Tomatoes - If you can't find crushed tomatoes, simply use canned whole or chopped tomatoes. They'll cook down and in the end will be blended until smooth.
    • Vegetables - I love when I have all of the vegetable listed in this soup, but if you're missing one then this soup will still be delicious. Don't get hung up on exact amounts and ingredients.
    • Vegetable Broth - I like to use veggie stock cubes, but you can also use homemade vegetable broth or broth from a carton.

    How to Make Creamy Vegan Tomato Zucchini Soup

    Step 1: Start by soaking some raw cashews in boiling water. Set them aside.

    Chopped up zucchini and carrots in a silver sauce pan with bay leaves and thyme sprinkled on top.

    Step 2: Heat some olive oil or water in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add in the carrots, celery, zucchini and onion and sauté until soft. Stir in the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes and stir well. Let cook 1-2 more minutes.

    Chopped zucchini poking out of red tomato soup in a silver pot.

    Step 3: Once the veggies are tender, add in the tomatoes and vegetable broth and stir everything well. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the soup to cook for about 30 minutes. You want all of the vegetables to be very soft and tender.

    Creamy tomato soup in a silver sauce pan.

    Step 4: Remove the bay leaves and then with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender, puree the soup until smooth. Pour the pureed soup back into the large saucepan.

    White cashew cream being poured into tomato soup in a silver sauce pan.

    Step 5: Rinse out your blender and drain and rinse your cashews. Place the cashews and 1 cup of water into your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the cashew cream into the pureed soup and stir well.

    Cashew sauce drizzled into vibrant red tomato zucchini soup in a fun pattern.

    Step 6: Heat this tomato zucchini soup until warm and serve with crusty grilled cheese croutons, Whole Wheat Artisan Bread or slices of soft, Easy Italian Bread!

    Expert Tips

    1. I like to buy my cashews in bulk and store them in the freezer. This not only saves me money, but it also ensures that I always have cashews on hand for things such as cashew cream.
    2. Save the scraps and ends of your veggies and use them to make homemade veggie broth for your next batch of soup!
    3. To make this soup one-pot, add your raw cashews into the soup when you add in the vegetable broth and allow them to simmer for a while. Then use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Using an immersion blender might not give you the smoothest consistency, but it saves you from having to wash a blender!

    Recipe FAQs

    How do you make soup creamy without dairy?

    There are a number of ways to achieve a creamy soup without adding actual dairy cream. Cashews blended with water make a rich and creamy cashew cream. Other options are coconut milk, white beans, zucchini, cauliflower or vegan cheese. You can also use a fat and flour to make a roux and then whisk in non-dairy milk to a creamy, dairy-free sauce.

    How should I store soup?

    Soup is the perfect meal prep food because it stores beautifully in both the fridge and the freezer. To store leftover soup in the fridge, simply place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. To freeze soup, you can pour the leftover soup into a freezer safe container or zip-lock bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.

    What should I eat with tomato soup?

    The next time you enjoy a bowl of tomato soup, pair it with some homemade bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, croutons or even crispy oven-roasted chickpeas and a salad.

    More Vegan Soup Recipes!

    • Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup (Dairy-Free!)
    • Vegan Pizza Soup
      Vegan Pizza Soup
    • Pumpkin Peanut Butter Soup (Vegan!)
    • 8 Treasure Soup (八宝粥) Recipe

    📖 Recipe

    creamy tomato zucchini soup topped with grilled cheese croutons

    Creamy Vegan Tomato Zucchini Soup Recipe

    Faith VanderMolen
    This Creamy Vegan Tomato and Zucchini Soup packs a nutritious punch without sacrificing flavor!
    4.83 from 29 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 166 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup diced carrots
    • 1 cup diced celery
    • 4 cups diced zucchini
    • 1 large onion diced
    • 5 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 2 bay leaves
    • Pinch of salt
    • Pinch red pepper flakes
    • 56 ounce crushed tomatoes 2 large cans
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • ¾ cup cashews soaked
    • 1 cup water

    Instructions 

    • Before making this soup, cover your cashews with water in a bowl and let them soak for a few hours.
    • In a large saucepan, sauté the carrots, celery, zucchini and onion for about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are soft. Stir in the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes and stir well. Let cook 1-2 more minutes.
    • Add in the tomatoes and vegetable broth and stir everything well. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the soup to cook for about 30 minutes. You want all of the vegetables to be very soft and tender.
    • Remove the bay leaves and then with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender, puree the soup until smooth. Pour the pureed soup back into the large saucepan.
    • Rinse out your blender and drain and rinse your cashews. Place the cashews and 1 cup of water in your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the cashew cream into the pureed soup and stir well.
    • Heat until warm and serve!

    Notes

    • Even though I have a high speed blender, I still soak my cashews in hot water before blending them into cashew cream.
    • Don't worry too much about getting the cup measurements exact for the diced veggies. This soup will taste good even if you have a little bit more or less of a vegetables than the recipe states.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 7gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 762mgPotassium: 943mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 3537IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

    More Soup

    • Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
    • Vegan Zuppa Toscana
    • 1 Pot Maafe (African Peanut Stew)
    • Vegan Three Bean Chili


    Plant Biased Cookbook


    Plant Biased cover
     

    Plant Biased is my new cookbook and beginner's guide to eating a more plant based diet! I describe it as "the book I wish I had when I went vegan back in 2013."

    Plant Biased includes...

    90+ beginner recipes! My top breakfast, main dish, dessert & snack recipes!
    Why Plant Biased? Understand the "why" behind your choice to go plant-based!
    Vegan Cooking Basics: What you need to know and what to avoid when cooking.
    Grocery Shopping: How to confidently find healthy, unprocessed foods at the store.
    Nutritional Guidelines: Make sure you meet all your nutritional needs!
    Kitchen Essentials: Learn to create a place where you'll LOVE to cook!

    Buy it now for only $18.95 $9.95!

     
    Preview & Buy!


    buy Plant Biased on Amazon  

    Customer Reviews
    ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.8 out of 5


    31 All-Time Greatest Eats Cookbook!

    For a limited time, I'm giving away a 68-page cookbook of my reader-favorite recipes called my "31 All-Time Greatest Eats"!

    Just click the cover image above or the Download button below and it will take you directly to the PDF!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jackie says

      July 20, 2022 at 1:15 pm

      I made it last night...It is delicious. Having it for lunch today.
      Packed with all the healthy stuff.
      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Faith VanderMolen says

        July 21, 2022 at 9:40 pm

        So glad to hear that Jackie! Thanks so much for sharing. Enjoy the leftovers:)

        Reply
    2. Paula says

      August 10, 2021 at 7:45 am

      I made this last night with tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic and fresh Thyme from our garden...DELICIOUS! Super easy too!! A winner!

      Reply
      • Faith VanderMolen says

        August 10, 2021 at 3:43 pm

        Yay! So so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Jose says

      July 20, 2021 at 11:21 am

      My whole family loved this. I love that it's packed with vegetables and so tasty. I will definitely be making this again. I think the only change I made was to add black pepper and a little more garlic. Wonderful soup. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Faith VanderMolen says

        August 03, 2021 at 3:20 pm

        Oh black pepper is a must! I add it to everything, so I'm surprised I didn't write it in the recipe card. Thanks Jose! So glad you all enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Sara says

      November 13, 2020 at 10:46 pm

      This looks so delicious! I wanted to know if full-fat coconut milk can replace the cashew cream and if I can omit the celery? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Faith VanderMolen says

        December 01, 2020 at 11:44 am

        Hi Sara! I'm sure omitting the celery would be fine. It just may affect the flavor/cause you to add a little more salt. As for coconut milk, I haven't tried it. I love using coconut milk in creamy soups, but I don't know how it would taste in a tomato soup as it has a stronger flavor than cashews. If you try it out, let us know how it goes! You can also just omit it for a lighter tomato soup.

        Reply
        • Helen says

          January 07, 2022 at 9:00 am

          I was doing a post holiday cleanse/reset and didn't have the usual ingredients for a zucchini fennel soup I make (missing the fennel). So....I stumbled across your recipe and absolutely loved it! I made it without the cashews as I was trying to stick to vegetables only, and honestly, it was still incredibly rich and creamy in my mind. Definitely a keeper for a homemade tomato soup - thank you so much, and Happy New year! (Helen, Canada)

        • Faith VanderMolen says

          January 10, 2022 at 9:23 am

          Oh that's so great to hear! I love this soup without the cashew cream as well! Thanks for sharing Helen!

    5. Th says

      December 08, 2018 at 8:31 pm

      This was such a warming & delicioys soup. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
      • Faith says

        December 10, 2018 at 6:40 am

        So glad you enjoyed it! I'm having it for lunch today!

        Reply
    6. Pat says

      March 06, 2017 at 8:25 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight and it is FABULOUS! I like a little more tomato flavor so I pureed two additional cans of diced tomatoes and added a teaspoon of basil. Wonderfully healthy and soooo delicious! I shared this link on my FB page as well. Thank you for this great recipe.

      Reply
      • Faith says

        March 07, 2017 at 1:40 am

        Pat, that's music to my ears! Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and found little tweaks to make it even better. I've actually been meaning to make this recipe as it's so delicious and full of nutrients. That's for sharing the recipe on your FB page too. And that's for letting me know that you had a good experience with this recipe. Enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Aline Charbonneau says

      September 17, 2016 at 5:48 pm

      Getting ready to make this soup for supper. I have everything fresh from my garden, except the cashews of course. Can't wait to taste.

      Reply
      • Faith says

        September 18, 2016 at 9:48 pm

        Oh yum! I love this soup and have been wanting to make it for a while! Let me know how you like it!

        Reply
    8. josephine bourke-cockerill says

      April 30, 2016 at 7:06 am

      Thank you so much for this recipe. I'm just about to give it a try. I have one question, do you know if it will freeze OK? I'm hoping to save some in the freezer. Many thanks

      Reply
      • Faith says

        April 30, 2016 at 8:43 am

        You're so welcome Josephine! I hope you enjoy it as it's one of my favorite recipes on the blog. I've never frozen it before so I can't say for sure. I would recommend freezing it without the cashew cream and then adding that in after you defrost it. Let me know how it works out!

        Reply
    9. Ashlae says

      February 11, 2015 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner tonight and it was SO DANG good. I served it with homemade garlic bread and I'm pretty sure it's officially my new favorite dinner ever.

      Reply
      • Faith says

        February 11, 2015 at 9:39 pm

        That's great news Ashlae!! I'm honored you made one of my recipes...I love your blog! Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed it! It's one of my favorites...I've been eating it the past two weeks straight:)

        Reply
    10. Leigha @ The Yooper Girl says

      February 02, 2015 at 6:57 pm

      The cashews look just like cream in the picture! I had a creamy tomato basil soup tonight for dinner but this sounds even better with all the other veggies. Not to mention it's vegan, which the one that I ate was definitely not, haha 🙂 but it was already made for me so I'm not complaining!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        February 02, 2015 at 7:19 pm

        Doesn't it? Thanks Leigha! And you can never go wrong with free food! I'm sure that tomato basil soup was amazing...it sounds like it!

        Reply
    11. Tina Muir says

      February 02, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      You know whats funny Faith, today I HAD oatmeal for the first time in a while, it sounded better than cereal.....maybe we have switched haha. This sounds wooonndderrffuulll! Perfect for a cold day like today! Thanks for linking up 🙂

      Reply
      • Faith says

        February 02, 2015 at 3:45 pm

        Haha no way! Maybe there's something in the air;) Thanks Tina!

        Reply
    12. Liv @ Healthy Liv says

      February 02, 2015 at 11:53 am

      I love smoothies, but being in a college dorm room, oatmeal is the easiest thing to make every day, so I don't let myself get tired of it 😉 Love creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese! And I love that you snuck zucchini into it, too. I just pinned the recipe!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        February 02, 2015 at 12:24 pm

        You gotta do what you gotta do in college:) And I'll always love oatmeal! Nothing beats a warm panini and a big bowl o' soup. I hope you can make it soon! It's my favorite soup recipe I've made so far!

        Reply
    13. Sarah says

      February 02, 2015 at 11:17 am

      This sounds so warm and comforting right now! I think I even have everything to make it!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        February 02, 2015 at 12:23 pm

        Do it Sarah! It's my favorite soup I've made so far:)

        Reply
    14. Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says

      February 02, 2015 at 8:43 am

      ooh I love the addition of cashews! Thanks for linking up with us today-there is nothing better than tomato soup!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        February 02, 2015 at 10:02 am

        Thanks Deborah! I know this soup is so similar to my last one, but their just so easy, nutritious and comforting! I can't seem to stop making them;)

        Reply
    15. Pragati // Simple Medicine says

      February 02, 2015 at 8:38 am

      Your pictures are beautiful! And this soup is right up my ally. I love soup. Filling, warming, easy to pack in a lot of nutrients. It's basically perfect.

      Reply
      • Faith says

        February 02, 2015 at 10:01 am

        Thanks so much Pragati! And I totally agree with you. Soup is just the way to go when you want something comforting, but nutritious!

        Reply
    4.83 from 29 votes (27 ratings without comment)

    Please Leave A Star Review In The Recipe Card! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm a plant-based digital nomad mom-of-two living in Malaysia. Meet Faith!

    For a limited time, I'm giving away a free cookbook of my Top 31 recipes!

    Get it while you can!

    Free Download

    Eat Healthy in 2023!

    • Healthy Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

    • zucchini bread baked oatmeal
      Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal

    • creamy tomato zucchini soup topped with grilled cheese croutons
      Creamy Vegan Tomato Zucchini Soup

    • Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup (Dairy-Free!)

    • Vegan Soba Noodle Recipe!

    • Refreshing Green Smoothie Recipe!

    Most Popular Recipes

    • whole wheat artisan bread on a cutting board
      Easy Whole Wheat Artisan Bread Recipe

    • Easy Homemade Oatmeal Date Granola Bars

    • Whole Wheat No-Yeast No-Rise Vegan Pizza Dough

    • Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cashews

    • 5 Vegan Overnight Oats Recipes You Can Meal Prep!

    • two glasses of oat milk next to a jar of oat milk
      Homemade Oat Milk Recipe

    8-Week Plant Biased Meal Plan Cover

    DON'T think about recipe planning for weeks!

    ✅ Save Time

    ✅ Reduce Stress

    ✅ Eat Healthy

    Preview & Buy!

    Sourdough Heaven!

    • Vegan Sourdough Waffles

    • Sourdough Pumpkin Bread (Vegan!)

    • Sourdough Banana Bread

    • Easy Sourdough Muffins

    • Vegan Sourdough Pancakes (6 Ingredients!)

    • Vegan Sourdough Bread (Beginner-Friendly!)

    Footer

    The Conscientious Eater

    • START HERE
    • All Recipes
    • Plant Biased Cookbook
    • 8-Week Meal Plan

    Sponsorship

    Sponsor My Emails
    Sponsor Youtube, IG, Website

    My Recipes

    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes by Cuisine
    • Main Dishes by Recipe Type
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Snacks
    • Breads
    • WIAW

    Important Stuff

    • Privacy Policy
    • Site Accessbility
    • No AI Training
    • Disclosure
    • Contact
    • Some icons from flaticon.com

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 This website was designed using the Seasoned Pro Theme from Feast Design Co.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.