This Creamy Tomato Basil Soup is an easy and healthy recipe made with clean, real food ingredients. It's a plant-based soup that's perfect for a quick lunch or dinner made without coconut milk and can be ready to enjoy in under 15 minutes!{ Plant-Based | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Soy-Free | Oil-Free | Paleo-Friendly | Medical Medium® Compliant }
Optional Step: Soak the cashews in a bowl of filtered/purified water for 15-30 minutes, then rinse and drain before adding to your Vitamix. This will make the cashews soft and the soup extra smooth. It's an optional step that can be omitted if you prefer.
Prepare the saute' mixture:
Add all ingredients for the saute' mixture to a skillet and saute' on medium/high heat for approximately 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are soft, taking care to not burn the garlic.
Prepare the soup mixture:
Add all ingredients for the soup mixture to a Vitamix.
Next, add the saute' mixture to the Vitamix and blend on the "SOUP" setting or the "HIGH" setting until everything is well combined and the mixture is smooth.
Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Transfer the soup to a medium-size saucepan to lightly warm on the stovetop or lightly warm it with the "SOUP" setting of your Vitamix.
Optional: Garnish with diced fresh basil, hemp seeds, red pepper flakes or ground black pepper.
Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Tomatoes: I used organic "fire-roasted" diced tomatoes in a BPA-free can, but you could also use your favorite variety (diced, crushed, whole, etc.) or even fresh tomatoes. If you use fresh tomatoes, you will need about 3 1/2 cups diced and you may want to add (1) tablespoon of tomato paste to enhance the tomato flavor.Vegetable Broth: Use a "low-sodium" broth if you want to reduce the total amount of sodium in the recipe. If you didn't need the recipe to be oil-free, you could substitute (2) teaspoons of 100% pure avocado oil in the saute' step.Cashews: I used these to replace heavy cream which is used in non-vegan recipes. If you have extra time, or will not be using a Vitamix, you can soak them prior to adding them to your blender which will make them soft and the mixture extra creamy. This is an optional step and can be omitted if you prefer.Onions: I used "white" onions but you could use your favorite variety. I do not recommend using a "sweet" onion since this is a savory recipe.Fresh Basil: If you don't have fresh basil on hand, you can also use Organic Basil Essential Oil which will give the soup a nice, strong basil flavor. Just add 2 drops to your Vitamix instead of fresh basil leaves.Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference, however, you can always substitute it with sea salt.Serving Size: This recipe will make approximately (6) cups of soup. Nutritional information is calculated for 1 1/2 cups which is (1) serving.