Smoky Tomato Vegetable Soup
Consider this your pot of gold at the end of a winter of soup recipes! The flavors are EVERYTHING. It’s slurpy and smooth and hot and nourishing. It’s packed with vitamin A and C and so much more.
It has a lot of flavor and variety of seasonings, and is made of fairly common ingredients (you might have all of them on hand right now!). You can dump the ingredients into a pressure cooker, if you like. When it’s done cooking, simply blend it up smooth and stir in the cashew cream or coconut milk that gives it luxurious creaminess and richness to balance out all the spices. It’s one of those soups my husband and I can accidentally eat the whole pot of in one sitting if we’re not careful….it’s just that good.
I love smoked paprika. I didn’t discover it until just a few years ago. It seems like something I didn’t know I needed and now I go through it crazy fast. One aspect of meat that is desirable to most of us is the flavor, and smoked paprika and liquid smoke can add some of that flavor that is typically associated with meat. Moral of this paragraph: make sure you find smoked paprika and keep it on hand! I sprinkle it on avocado toast and use it in lots of recipes.
You’ve GOT to try this soup recipe! Share an Instagram story and tag me when you do! I’d love to see.
A few other soup recipes to go on your must-make list before summer:
Zuppa Toscana
Corn Chowder with Coconut Bacon
Instant Pot Lentil Barley Minestrone
Creamy and bursting with herbs and spices, this soup is a flavorful and comforting way to eat tons of vegetables! Use either cashews or coconut milk to make it creamy.
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 2-3 cups chopped sweet potato or butternut squash
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes OR tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup red lentils (or a drained can of white beans or garbanzo beans)
- 1 TBSP smoked paprika
- 1/2 TBSP dried oregano
- 1/2 TBSP EACH garlic and onion powder
- 1/2 TBSP dried basil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3/4 cup cashews (or 1 cup coconut milk*) (if using cashews, soak first, see notes)
- 1 large handful spinach or kale
- toasted slivered almonds or croutons
-
After chopping and preparing all the vegetables, push the sauté button and set it for 5 minutes. Sauté the onion and garlic with a splash of the vegetable broth.
-
Next add all the remaining ingredients except cashews or coconut milk and spinach, if using (kale can be pressure cooked but spinach doesn't need to be). Set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 12 minutes. Let it release naturally OR flip the valve and do a quick release--either works.
-
While the soup is cooking, make the cashew cream (if using) by blending the cashews with 1 cup of water.
-
When the soup is done, Stir in either the cashew cream or the coconut milk and spinach.
-
Using an immersion blender, or ladeling out some of the soup into a regular blender, blend the soup. You can blend it all the way so it's super smooth, or just lightly to thicken the soup, leaving some vegetables whole for some texture. Add a little water if you'd like it thinner (thickness varies based on exactly how many sweet potatoes or butternut squash you used).
-
Top with toasted almonds or croutons, if desired.
-
In a large pot with a heavy bottom, saute the onions and garlic several minutes with a splash of vegetable broth or water.
-
Add the spices, and stir a few minutes to wake them up. Yep, those spices benefit from a wake up call.
-
Add the broth and all the remaining vegetables except the spinach. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork...about 15-20 minutes.
-
While the soup is cooking, make the cashew cream (if using) by blending the cashews with 1 cup of water.
-
When the soup is done, Stir in either the cashew cream or the coconut milk and spinach.
-
Using an immersion blender, or ladeling out some of the soup into a regular blender, blend the soup. You can blend it all the way so it's super smooth, or just lightly to thicken the soup, leaving some vegetables whole for some texture.
-
Top with toasted almonds or croutons, if desired.
If you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, no need to soak cashews. If you don't, then soak them overnight or in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Then drain and blend with fresh water to make the cashew cream.
Use full-fat or light coconut milk--depending on preference. Use a whole can if you'd like, but coconut flavor will be stronger.
On a cold, snowy day, all I wanted was soup! This was perfect and delicious. Onions, garlic, tomatoes, butternut, carrots, spinach—all the good things I wanted combined with flavorful spices. We loved it!
Faith has done it again!! It’s a chilly, late winter afternoon in central Ohio. Mother Nature is reminding us it’s STILL winter here despite being just days away from the first day of spring. With snow flurries outside, my palate is pleased and my belly is warmed by this rich, creamy, healthy soup!! It’s sweet (I used Japanese sweet potatoes) definitely smoky (thanks to that yummy smoked paprika), and filling (thanks to those red lentils and white beans…I had to go combo because I was short on lentils and the store was sold out). Anyway, Faith gave us a keeper here!! Give it a try 😉
Excellent flavors! This tomato soup was exactly what I wanted, I did NOT add the cashews or coconut milk, and it was perfect.
Thank You ❤️❤️❤️