Creamy Tomato Bisque - A Vegan Tomato Soup recipe made with fresh tomatoes and herbs in an Instant Pot. Serve with baguette or sourdough and enjoy a hearty bowl of this soup on a cold winters evening.
Delicious, thick and creamy, this Vegan Instant Pot Tomato Bisque is not your regular tomato soup. This soup is CREAMIER, TASTIER and absolutely COMFORTING.
We love Classic Tomato Soup at home. The version that I have on the blog is made on stove-top. The recipe also uses fresh tomatoes, similar to bisque.
Even though this soup can be enjoyed all year round, I feel this soup is apt for the fall / winter season. This is the kind of soup you can enjoy curled up on a sofa with a cashmere sweater or shawl.
Since the recipe is made using Instant Pot, there is not much to do except dump the ingredients, wait for the pressure cooker to do its job, blitz the soup and enjoy.
While this is an Instant Pot Recipe, I will be sharing tips for cooking this on stove top. Also do check out the recipe card for instructions to use canned tomatoes.
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Difference between Tomato Bisque and Tomato Soup
The ingredients for both bisque and regular tomato soup are quite similar. However, the consistency and the creaminess of the bisque takes the classic tomato soup up several notches.
Traditionally the soup is made with shellfish base such as oyster or lobster.
The vegetarian version can be simply termed as "Creamy tomato soup" as dairy cream and butter are added to make it more rich and silky smooth.
However, the vegan version of the recipe I am sharing today contains plant based cashew cream. I have also substituted the butter with olive oil.
Ingredients
Complete Ingredient List mentioned in the recipe card below
Tomatoes - I have used fresh tomatoes for this recipe. You can use canned tomatoes in case you are unable to source fresh ones or hard-pressed for time.
Carrots - Adds Sweetness, natural thickness to the soup without excess cream or artificial thickeners. Can be substituted with boiled potatoes.
Herbs - I have used dried herbs for the recipe. If using fresh herbs, please double the quantities. Also feel free to add herbs of your choice.
Cashew Cream - Any plant based cream can be used such as coconut cream etc. You may also substitute cream with plant based milk like almond milk or oat milk.
Step-wise Instructions to make Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Bisque
Switch on Instant Pot "SAUTE MODE". Once it displays On or Hot, add Olive oil and sauté chopped onions and garlic.
Add roughly chopped tomatoes and diced carrots, herbs and salt. Mix well
Add Vegetable Stock and mix well. Close the Instant Pot Lid. Pressure Cook on "HIGH" for 6 minutes. Once the IP beeps, Quickly release the pressure (NPR). Open the lid.
Blend the soup using an immersion blender. Press Saute Mode.
Note - If using regular blender or mixer grinder jar, cool the ingredients completely before blending. Would require an additional 15 - 20 mins.
Add the cashew cream and coconut sugar. Mix well and let the soup simmer for a couple of seconds. Cancel Sauté Mode.
Serve the soup with bread, pasta or salad.
Tips
- The soup thickens with time. The consistency can be adjusted with some warm water or plant based milk (if you prefer a rich taste).
- Adding sweetener (coconut sugar) is totally optional. However, it helps in reducing the acidity from tomatoes.
- Quantity of cream depends on personal preference. In this case, the soup is naturally thickened using carrots (which also lends sweet taste) and hence the quantity of cream used is just 2 tablespoons for 6 servings.
Variations
Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque - Roast fresh tomatoes on a grill or oven OR use Canned Roasted Tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, peel the roasted / charred skin and add the roughly chopped tomatoes to the IP with the rest of the ingredients. The soup will have smoky flavors.
Cooked Rice - Some versions of the soup add cooked rice.
Beans like Chickpeas, Kidney Beans make a wonderful addition to the soup especially if you are looking to add some protein.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Instant Pot Tomato Bisque with crusty bread like baguette or sourdough. The soup can be served with garlic croutons or topped with roasted chickpeas.
Classic Focaccia, Pull Apart Garlic Bread and Garlic Knots are perfect sides with soup.
The soup can be paired with Roasted Vegetables or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes during Root Vegetable Season (Fall / Winters).
Salad Combos like Vegan Chickpea Salad or Pear Feta Salad make a wonderful light lunch.
Shelf Life / Freezing Instructions
Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. It stays fresh until 4 to 5 days.
If making a double batch, freeze it in small containers, leave it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and re-heat on stove-top or microwave.
FAQ's
Tomato Bisque tastes like a rich tomato soup which has a silky smooth consistency.
I have added carrots to the tomato soup that helps in consistency. Adding boiled potatoes or additional cream helps.
Sometimes excess cream makes the soup taste sweet or it can be the case if you are using a particular variety of canned tomatoes. Taste check the ingredients before cooking and if you want to reduce the sweetness in soup, simply add cayenne or red chilli powder.
Other Soup Recipes to Try
Instant Pot Vegetarian Minestrone
Instant Pot Carrot Ginger Soup
Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Milk Soup)
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Instant Pot Tomato Bisque
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Onions medium size, finely chopped OR 1 cup
- 3 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
- 4 Tomatoes Roughly chopped (Read notes below)
- 3 Carrots OR 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth Or use Vegetable Stock / Plain Water
- ½ tbsp Dried Oregano
- ½ tbsp Dried Basil
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Coconut Sugar
- 2 tbsp Cashew Cream + Extra for garnish
Instructions
- Switch on Instant Pot "SAUTE MODE". Once it displays On or Hot, add Olive oil.
- Then add finely chopped onions and garlic. Saute for a couple of seconds.
- Now add roughly chopped tomatoes and diced carrots, herbs and salt. Mix well
- Add Vegetable Stock, mix well. Close the Instant Pot Lid. Pressure Cook on "HIGH" for 6 minutes. Once the IP beeps, Quickly release the pressure (NPR). Open the lid.
- With an immersion blender, blend the soup until thick and creamy. Press Saute Mode.
- Add the cashew cream and coconut sugar. Mix well and let the soup simmer for a couple of seconds. Cancel Sauté Mode.
- Serve the soup with bread, pasta or salad.
Notes
- Tomatoes - I have used fresh tomatoes for this recipe. You can use canned tomatoes in case you are unable to source fresh ones or hard-pressed for time.
- 1 & 1/2 14.5 oz can of tomatoes can be used for this recipe. Reduce the quantity of stock to 1 & 1/2 cups. Some canned tomatoes are quite acidic so adjust the quantity of sugar in the end to balance the taste.
- Instead of Carrots, you can add 1/2 cup mashed potatoes or 1 large potato (diced). If using mashed potato, blend it with the rest of the ingredients after the soup has cooked.
- If you are not using carrots or potato to thicken the soup naturally, you may use 1/2 a cup of cashew cream instead.
- I have used immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the Instant Pot. However, if you are using regular blender or mixer grinder jar, cool the ingredients completely to avoid mishaps (hot liquid pouring out of the blender)
- Herbs - If using fresh herbs, just double the quantities and add.
- The soup thickens with time. The consistency can be adjusted with some warm water or plant based milk (if you prefer a rich taste).
- Adding sweetener (coconut sugar) is totally optional. However, it helps in reducing the acidity from tomatoes.
- Quantity of cream depends on personal preference. In this case, the soup is naturally thickened using carrots (which also lends sweet taste) and hence the quantity of cream used is just 2 tablespoons for 6 servings.
- Stove Top Instructions - If cooking this recipe on a stove top (open pan) or Stove top pressure cooker, you can follow Instructions 1 to 3. In case of Stove Top, it will take about 30 minutes for the vegetables to cook, stirring occasionally whereas if you are using Pressure cooker, allow 1 whistle on high, reduce the flame and cook for 5-7 minutes on low heat. Release the pressure naturally, remove the whistle, cool and blend.
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Vidya Narayan
This is wonderful! Easy, flavorful and sooo creamy! I could eat this for breakfast!
I absolutely love using the Instant Pot for cozy soups like this one - and the fact that it's vegan is such a bonus!
Tomato soup kicked WAYYYYY up! The cashew cream--I could drink in a glass! LOL! SO DELISH!
This is a really delicious recipe. The nutty cashew cream works really well with all the umami from the tomatoes.
Thank you for sharing how to make on the stove-top as well. Very comforting and filling soup, too.