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Home » Vegan Soups

Tomato Fennel Soup

Published: Sep 24, 2024 · Modified: Nov 11, 2024 by Janelle Hama *This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure

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Tomato fennel soup is irresistible, made with ripe fresh tomatoes and fennel bulb, simmered in onion and garlic cloves and lifted with pepper.

two white bowls of tomato fennel soup garnished with fennel fronds
This tomato soup will surprise you with its taste considering how easy it is

I enjoy preparing this tomato fennel soup because it's incredibly easy. All you need to do is roughly chop the ingredients and put them in a pot! It cooks quickly and doesn't require any added creams, making it feel light.

This soup is great for making in large quantities and is suitable for special diets as it's vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, oil-free, and nut- and soy-free.

The combination of tomato and fennel creates a rich, flavorful soup that feels indulgent yet remains light.

Additionally, its vibrant color makes it very inviting, similar to my vegetable borscht.

About The Ingredients

a tomato, fennel, garlic, onion, veggie stock, pepper, coconut sugar and lemon laid out

The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.

The first key ingredient is fresh, ripe tomatoes, such as Roma or vine-ripened varieties. You don’t need to peel or deseed them; just give them a rough chop, and they are ready to use. If you're in a pinch, you can also use organic whole canned tomatoes.

The second key ingredient is fennel bulb, which gives this soup a subtle licorice flavor. Look for bright white bulbs that are free of blemishes, and then roughly chop them up. It adds a distinct flavor without being overpowering.

Fresh onion and garlic are essential for building flavor. I roughly chop both before adding them to the pot. For a touch of sweetness, I use coconut sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. You can also swap it out for maple syrup if that’s your preference.

I love the little heat that black pepper adds to this soup. And a good quality vegetable stock or bouillon really elevates the flavors. It’s the backbone of the soup, so choose a great one. If you’re using bouillon, you likely won’t need extra salt, but always taste the soup at the end and adjust as needed.

For a fun garnish, I like to sprinkle some pickled green peppercorns on top. It’s totally optional, but it adds a nice bite to the final dish. Otherwise, try capers instead if you don't like pepperiness.

The Steps

This vegan tomato and fennel soup may look sophisticated, but the cooking method is simple. Start by sweating the onions. Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable stock in a large pot over medium-high heat until the onions turn translucent. I am using veggie stock instead of oil to keep it low-fat, but you can use oil if you prefer.

Once the onions are ready, it’s time to soften the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, and coconut sugar. Just toss them into the pot, cover it, and let everything cook together for about five minutes until it all softens nicely.

collage of sweating onions and tomatoes in a dutch oven

Next, stir in the vegetable stock, cover the pot, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 15 minutes, allowing all those flavors to meld together.

Now for the fun part: blending the soup. Turn off the heat, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice, and grab your immersion blender. Blend until smooth, then do a quick taste test to see if it needs a pinch of salt.

Serve the soup warm in a cute bowl, garnished with optional pickled green peppercorns for an extra peppery kick, and a sprinkle of fennel fronds for a fresh touch. Enjoy it as a cozy, yet effortlessly impressive soup.

 collage of adding vegetable stock to softened tomatoes and onion and then blending them with an immersion blender

Janelle's Tips

For a creamy soup, stir through some coconut cream at the end after pureeing.

Storage

Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer the soup to an air-tight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to three months in a snap-lock bag (lay flat). When you're ready to reheat a portion, do so over the stovetop. A tip: freeze the soup in portion sizes for convenience.

Looking for more veggie soups, try my vegan potato leek soup without any cream or this 10 vegetable soup recipe .

a gold spoon in a bowlful of tomato fennel soup

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy with some freshly made bread such as an easy classic vegan damper, gluten free vegan cornbread or Italian artisan bread.

You can also dunk a vegan cheese toastie into this tomato soup or vegan musakhan rolls. Yum! What a delicious combination.

Or stirring through some baby spinach leaves for variety.

a bowl of tomato fennel soup with toasted bread sliced next to it

Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.

Recipe

a gold spoon in a bowlful of tomato fennel soup

Tomato Fennel Soup

Tomato fennel soup is irresistible, made with ripe fresh tomatoes and fennel bulb, simmered in onion and garlic cloves and lifted with pepper.
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Any
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

  • 1½ kg Tomatoes roughly chopped
  • ½ medium Fennel chopped small
  • 2 medium Onion roughly chopped
  • 4-5 cloves Garlic crushed
  • 4 cups Vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper cracked
  • 1 teaspoon Coconut sugar
  • 1 small Lemon juiced
  • 1 teaspoon Pickled green peppercorns optional for garnish
Metric - US Customary
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Instructions

  • In a tall pot, heat up a couple of tablespoons of veggie stock on medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel, sweat until translucent.
  • Stir through tomato and garlic, pepper, coconut sugar. Cover pot and cook for approximately 5 minutes until everything has softened. 
  • Stir through vegetable stock, cover pot and bring to a soft boil. Turn heat down to low-medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Turn off heat and stir through lemon juice. Use an immersion blender to blend contents to create a smooth soup. Serve warm with optional green peppercorns.

Video


Nutrition

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 762mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2448IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg

N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.


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Comments

    5 from 32 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jim

    June 07, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    5 stars
    100% now my favourite tomato soup without cream. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Janelle

      June 07, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      Thank you for the lovely compliment - this makes me so happy!

      Reply

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