Copycat Panera Tomato Basil Soup is a vegan version of the popular restaurant’s recipe. It’s creamy, cozy, and easy to make in under 30 minutes. Try it with a vegan grilled cheese sandwich and for the ultimate comfort food meal.
Soups and Sandwiches
You can never go wrong with soup and a sandwich for lunch or dinner. One of my go-to combinations is a bowl of Spanish Gazpacho with a Vegan Tuna Salad sandwich.
And I often take soups I used to love eating and give them vegan makeovers. Some of my go-to remakes of old favorites are Wild Rice Soup, Taco Soup, and Potato Corn Chowder.
But there’s something so comforting about the childhood combination of a hot bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s not surprising that Panera Bread’s Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup is so popular. But unfortunately for many of us, it contains ingredients we don’t consume, like milk, butter, and wheat flour.
However, after stumbling across The Pinning Mama’s copycat version of the Panera classic, I realized it would be easy to make a vegan and gluten-free version of this delicious soup. And now you can enjoy this dairy-free creamy tomato basil soup whenever you want!
Vegan Tomato Soup Ingredients
Most of the ingredients to make this copycat recipe you may already have in your pantry. In fact, it uses canned tomatoes instead of fresh.
You will need the following:
- olive oil
- fresh garlic
- crushed tomatoes
- diced tomatoes
- vegetable broth (or water and vegetable bouillon)
- organic sugar
- raw cashews
- fresh basil
- salt
How to make dairy-free tomato basil soup
Follow these 4 easy steps, and you’ll be enjoying a hot bowl of vegan tomato soup in less than 30 minutes:
- Saute the minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the cashew cream in your high-speed blender by combining raw cashews with water. (If you’re blender isn’t very powerful, soak the cashews ahead of time to soften them.)
- Stir in the cashew cream, some fresh basil, and salt, to taste, and it’s time to eat!
I love that this soup is creamy while remaining a little chunky from the diced tomatoes. And the basil adds a hint of freshness, even though we’re using canned tomatoes.
Serving suggestions
Whether you choose to serve this soup on its own, with a sandwich, or with a salad, you’re sure to feel satisfied.
I personally love it with my friend Kathy’s Super Cheezy Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich. And it also pairs well with a Vegan Cream Cheese Sandwich or a slice or rustic bread for a perfect vegan Mediterranean diet meal. Or serve it with a salad like White Bean Cherry Tomato Basil Salad or Vegan Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad.
Anyway you choose, Copycat Panera Tomato Basil Soup is sure to be a winner!
Fun fact: Cream of Tomato Soup with Crushed Popcorn was on JFK’s Inaugural Luncheon Menu in 1961!
Copycat Panera Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
Leftover soup can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If you plan to freeze the soup, leave out the cashew mixture and instead add it after reheating the soup.
Tips for freezing/reheating this soup:
- Wait for the soup to cool before freezing it.
- Leave about an inch of space at the top of the container before adding the lid.
- Do not add the cashew mixture or the basil leaves until later when you reheat the soup.
- Allow the soup to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stove.
For tips on freezing, refer to USDA Freezing and Food Safety.
And for even more delicious vegan recipes, join the Insider List and receive a FREE recipe ebook! You can also follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook Group.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!
Copycat Panera Tomato Basil Soup (Vegan)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1-28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespoons organic sugar
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil leaves, chopped
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot.
- Saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and sugar to the pot and stir. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, blend the raw cashews with the water in a high-speed blender until completely smooth. (If your blender isn’t high-speed, soak the cashews in advance to soften, then drain before blending.)
- Once the soup is hot and simmering, slowly pour the cashew mixture into the soup while stirring.
- Stir in the basil and allow the soup to return to a simmer.
- Taste, add salt as needed, and enjoy!
Notes
- Wait for the soup to cool before freezing it.
- Leave about an inch of space at the top of the container before adding the lid.
- Do not add the cashew mixture or the basil leaves until later when you reheat the soup.
- Allow the soup to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stove.
Trudee
This is my favorite!!
Amy Katz
Thanks so much, Trudee!
Moira
Easy and it tastes great 😁
Amy Katz
Thanks Moira!