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tomato soup with cashew cream drizzled on top with vegan grilled cheese in background

Vegan Creamy Tomato Soup (Instant Pot)

Course: Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegan tomato soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
pressure - 10/release 10/simmer after 3: 23 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 167kcal
Author: Cindy Rainey
Creamy Tomato Soup made easy in the Instant Pot. This tomato soup is creamy but it is dairy-free because it uses a delicious garlic cashew cream - not dairy. There is no added oil or sugar either in this tomato soup because it gets natural sweetness from the carrots. 
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • high-speed blender
  • hand-held immersion blender

Ingredients

Creamy Cashew Garlic Sauce

  • 1 cup cashews raw and unsalted
  • hot water to soak discard after soaking
  • 1 cup water for blending
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1./2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Tomato Soup for the Instant Pot

  • 56 ounces whole tomatoes peeled 2 - 28 ounces cans
  • 29 ounces tomato sauce 1- 29 ounce can
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 ½ cups carrots sliced - thick is fine
  • 1½ Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 10 basil leaves
  • All but the reserved cashew cream about 1 1/4 cup will be remaining

After Cooking and Blending

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda only add after tasting. See instructions and notes.

Optional

  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt taste first
  • sliced basil leaves for garnish
  • cashew parm see notes for link to recipe
  • croutons
  • extra cashew cream for garnish

Instructions

Creamy Cashew Garlic Sauce

  • Soak the cashews in very hot water for 30 minutes. Drain.
  • Add soaked and drained cashews, along with 1 cup water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic and onion powders to a high-speed blender.
  • Blend/process till smooth and creamy - about 2 minutes
  • Pour out 1/2 cup cashew cream and reserve for garnishing the soup when finished.

Tomato Soup in the Instant Pot

  • Add to the inner pot of your pressure cooker, the 2 cans of undrained whole tomatoes - juices and all, the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, sliced carrots, soy sauce, tomato paste, garlic powder, celery seed, pepper, basil leaves, and all BUT the reserved (1/2 cup) cashew cream. (It will be about 1 1/4 cup cashew cream that you add to the IP.)
  • In the manual mode, set for 12 minutes high pressure. (Read your IP directions and understand how to use your pot. The lid should be properly sealed and the vent should be closed.)
  • After coming to pressure, your pressure cooker will count down for 12 minutes. After it is finished, allow for a 10 minute natural release.
  • With a long-handled spatula or some similar item, turn the release valve and finish with a quick release.
  • Open pressure cooker as per manufacturer's directions.
  • With a hand-held immersion blender, blend the soup for about 3-5 minutes until it is creamy and smooth.

After Cooking and Blending

  • Taste the soup and determine if the flavor is too acidy. It will be extra strong and may be sharp to the tongue. Add in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Allow to foam and stir in. Saute for about 3 minutes till the bubbles are gone. This should take away the strong acid taste.

Optional Add-Ons

  • Drizzle on about 1 Tablespoon of creamy garlic sauce to the top of each serving for garnish and flavor.
  • Serve with vegan cashew parm (see notes), fresh basil, or croutons.

Notes

  1.  Recipe for the best ever Cashew Parm
  2. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in your blender 2 cups at a time. Wait until has cooled down slightly so that you can handle it. 
  3. Why the baking soda? Foods like tomato soup and pasta sauce tend to get a little acidy. Normally we would just add in a little sugar to combat the acid. This is a no-sugar recipe however so we won't be doing that. Baking soda will also neutralize the acidity. After the soup has finished cooking and is smooth and blended, taste and determine if it is too acidy for you. It will be extra strong tasting and feel sharp in your mouth. Add in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. It will foam a little. Stir and cook on saute for about 2-3 minutes until foam goes down. This should help. 
  4. If you don't want to use cashews you can use another nut/seed of choice. I can't guaruntee the outcome. Or you could use 2 cups of your favorite plant milk instead. It won't be as right and creamy but will still taste good.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1471mg | Potassium: 944mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4837IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 4mg