Tomato Basil Soup with Vegan Grilled Cheese Croutons
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This Tomato Basil Soup with Vegan Grilled Cheese Croutons is made of a bunch of roasted veggies, basil pesto and the best croutons you’ve ever had!
One of the best things EVER is a bowl of hot soup on a cold day. But an even BETTER thing is hot soup with vegan grilled cheese croutons!!! Let me tell you it is next level tasty and you will not want to eat tomato soup any other way after trying this.
If you follow me on Instagram then you have already heard about this soup because I have been raving about it for the last couple weeks. But the wait is over…the recipe is all yours.
If you have been around TSV for a while then you know I am not a fan of many vegan cheese brands. Basically I don’t like any of them. BUT, one thing I absolutely do love is vegan cream cheese! And that is what I used to make these grilled cheese croutons. With the addition of some basil pesto, these croutons are perfectly creamy and seasoned with a super crunchy crust.
TSV TIP: I used Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese, but you could use any brand. Feeling extra wild? Use plain cream cheese and season it with your own spice/herb mixture.
Oh, and did I mention we are adding garlic powder to the outside of the bread to make these into garlic bread grilled cheese croutons? Seriously, too tasty for words.
HOW TO MAKE Tomato Basil Soup with Vegan Grilled Cheese Croutons
This soup is really easy to make. Load all of your veggies onto a tray with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a healthy pinch of salt & pepper. Roast everything for 40 minutes until super soft and juicy.
Transfer all of the veggies to a pot (if you have an immersion blender) or to a standing blender (if you don’t have an immersion blender). Add broth and non-dairy milk to the veggies and blend away.
TSV TIP: You can find the immersion blender I have here. I love it and use it all the time.
Once everything is smooth, add some herbs, red pepper flakes, basil pesto and vegan butter to the pot. Bring it all to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
TSV TIP: I used pre-made vegan pesto from Trader Joe’s, but you can find plenty of homemade pesto recipes here on TSV.
When you are ready to eat, make your croutons and serve the soup with fresh basil. Get ready to be in soup heaven.
Tomato Basil Soup with Vegan Grilled Cheese Croutons
Ingredients
FOR THE ROASTED VEGGIES
- 2 lbs roma tomatoes quartered
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 yellow onion cut into chunks
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper
FOR THE SOUP
- 3 cups broth I used vegan chicken broth*
- 1 cup non-dairy milk unsweetened
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fresh thyme roughly chopped
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 3 tbsp vegan basil pesto**
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- fresh basil for serving
FOR THE GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS
- 4 slices bread I used sourdough
- garlic powder
- vegan butter
- vegan cream cheese I used chive-flavored
- vegan basil pesto
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add all of the roasted veggie ingredients to the baking sheet and toss to coat evenly. Be sure to add a healthy pinch of salt & pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 40-60 minutes, or until everything is tender and juicy.
- IF YOU HAVE AN IMMERSION BLENDER***: transfer the roasted veggies and all of their juices to a large pot with no heat. Add the broth and non-dairy milk and blend until smooth.
- IF YOU HAVE A STANDING BLENDER: transfer the roasted veggies and all of their juices to a blender. Add 1 cup of broth to the blender and blend until smooth, working in batches if needed. Add the blended mixture, remaining broth and non-dairy milk to a large pot.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and add the oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, pesto and butter to the soup. Stir to combine. Once the soup begins to boil, lower heat and simmer for 10-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- When you are ready to eat, prepare the grilled cheese croutons. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle the buttered sides with garlic powder. Place a pan (I used a cast iron skillet) on the stove over medium heat. Place 2 slices of bread in the pan, butter side down. Spread vegan cream cheese and pesto on each slice of bread. Top with the remaining bread slices.
- Cook until the sandwiches are browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-sized squares.
- Serve hot soup with fresh basil and grilled cheese croutons.****
Video
Notes
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This is my second time making this recipe. It’s so good!!
Hi Anna – so glad you love this one! It’s one of my faves too!
This soup is so yummy! I followed the recipe exactly and the flavours were amazing! This recipe is a keeper for sure
Yay! So glad you liked it!
I’ve now made the soup for a second time to shut my husband up 🙄😆. We are astounded by the extraordinary flavor of this soup with such simple ingredients. I’ve always hesitated roasting vegetables because of the time/energy using the oven, but no more!
I’ve added liquid smoke, mushrooms, and wild rice which makes it a perfect dinner. Remember, you don’t need to use oil if you have a silicone baking sheet.
I made this for dinner earlier this week and my family raved about it! We all thought it was super delicious. The soup is creamy, a little sweet and savory, full of flavor. The grilled cheese really blew us away too. We had ours on the side vs as croutons but we dipped them in the soup. The perfect complement! Thanks for a great recipe! I’ll definitely make this again and again.
You’re super welcome! So glad the whole family loved it!
Not able to get fresh tomatoes right now. Is there anyway to make this with canned tomatoes? Have made this several times. My grandson loves it.
Totally – I would still roast the other veggies and add them to the canned tomatoes before blending. Won’t be 100% the same, but still really good!
This was outstanding! My whole family is IN LOVE! Thank you for sharing???
Woowho! So glad it was hit with the whole family!
Delicious soup! I always double soups to have some for freezing, and this darn near filled up my dutch oven to the top when doubled. I kept the croutons as a tasty sandwich, didn’t even bother to cut them up into cubes. I took your suggestion and got a loaf of sourdough from the local bakery and boy oh boy what a fantastic combo on a winter afternoon. Thanks!
Sourdough is the best!!! And I can only imagine how full your pot must have been lol. So glad you liked it!
Yum thiss looks so delicious and I am so happy it is plant-based. I love sharing plant-based recipes too! As you now 🙂