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Creamy Moroccan Tomato Soup. The cozy weeknight soup that’s quick, easy, and healthy too. Pantry staple canned tomatoes, smoky, fiery Moroccan harissa sauce, and creamy coconut milk, all come together to create a delicious rich bowl of tomato soup that’s a flavorful twist on the classic. Serve each bowl topped with crispy chickpeas for a completely vegan tomato soup that made in 45 minutes or less. Serve with garlic naan or a simple grilled cheese, for the perfect meal any night of the week.
I’ve decided I need to get back to my creative roots. Throughout my childhood I’d flip through fashion magazines and spend my weekends rearranging my bedroom. When that got boring, I’d stroll over to my grandparents. Once there, my grandma would let me play in her in closest and dress the manikin she had in her bedroom. My Nonnie had the most beautiful clothes, so as you can guess, this was one of my favorite activities. Once I’d finished, I’d make my way downstairs, to play in the kitchen and help her set the dinner table.
I’ve always loved design and putting things together. Basically, I’ve always loved being creative and trying to make everything pretty. Or at least pretty to my eyes. As I began cooking and then writing Half Baked Harvest, all of that creative energy was poured into making food look gorgeous. And for the last 6 1/2 years I’ve worked so hard to grow my creative “eye” in this space.
And I could not love it more. I love fashion, and I love home decor, but food is most definitely my niche.
That said, I realized this weekend that I miss doing the other things I used to love so much. I was looking around my house and it’s so blah and boring. I’ve spent so much time working, that everything else fell to the wayside, I’m sure so many of you can relate. I really want to make it a goal to spend a couple of hours each week doing other things I love. I know in the long run it will only feed my creativity and make Half Baked Harvest that much better. I’m excited.
No real reason for sharing this, it’s just what’s currently on my mind as I sat down to write this post. Maybe sharing my thoughts with you all will hold me accountable…crossing my fingers my reasoning works!
In other news, I did make us some soup to cozy up to this week!
I said a couple of weeks ago that I was kind of over soup, I’ve made so many this year. But then I had this idea for a grilled cheese (recipe coming soon). Nothing goes better with a grilled cheese than a creamy bowl of tomato soup. Originally, I wasn’t planning on sharing this recipe. But when it turned out so good, I knew it was one that I needed to share. My reason for hesitating is that it’s a little different. But it’s such a delicious, cozy, and healthy bowl of soup, so why not share it, you know?
Plus, as much as we’re all craving spring, it is still very much winter, and very cold. So soup weather!
The base of this soup is pretty simple. It still has your standard onion, garlic, and tomato mix. But I’ve added smoky and fiery harissa sauce to give the soup a kick of both flavor and heat. If you’ve never had harissa, it’s a Moroccan condiment that usually consists of pureed roasted red peppers and spices. It’s kind of like Moroccan salsa. You can find it at places like Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s, possibly even your local grocery store. My Kroger owned grocery store carries it. You can also just purchase it online at Thrive Market, or via Amazon (both are obviously very convenient).
The harissa is KEY in this tomato soup. It adds all the flavor and really sets it apart from the traditional bowl of tomato soup. In addition to harissa, I also used canned coconut milk, to give the soup a nice smooth and creamy texture and a slight hint of coconut flavor.
It’s DELICIOUS and keeps the soup 100% vegan too. While, I topped the soup with goat cheese, you can do what you like, and add or omit the cheese. You know me though, gotta have some cheese.
Lastly, I crisped up some chickpeas for a little bit of protein and crunch. This is completely optional, but I do love the texture they add to the soup.
And as for the grilled cheese? More on that tomorrow…
Until then, I hope you all have a great start to your week!
If you make this Moroccan tomato soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Moroccan Tomato Soup.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 (28 ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons harissa sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey, or real maple syrup
- 1 can (14 ounce) full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or basil, chopped
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, (optional)
- crispy chickpeas, for serving (optional), (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until the onion is fragrant and beginning to caramelize. Add the thyme, paprika, and cumin, cook another minute. Stir in the tomatoes, harissa, and honey. Cook 5 minutes until bubbling. 2. Pour in the coconut milk. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until mostly smooth. Return the soup to the pot and place over medium heat, Stir in the cilantro and half of the goat cheese, if using, and season the soup with salt and pepper. Thin with more coconut milk, if desired. Cook until warmed though, 5-10 minutes. 4. To serve, ladle the soup among bowls and top with goat cheese, cilantro, and chickpeas. I recommend serving with a grilled cheese on the side!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
The BEST tomato soup of my entire life! It’s spicy and the flavor is incredible! We top it with roasted chickpeas, goat cheese, and cilantro, and we make a grilled cheese too. It’s genuinely one of my favorite meals. Thanks Tieghan for another fantastic recipe!
Hey Marien,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am glad it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Thank you for a delicious recipe! My boyfriend and I are Moroccan and take zero offense from the title! Tasty is tasty and we are proud that the flavors of Morocco inspired you! Whether it’s just harissa or something more!
Thank you so much for trying this Hanine!! I am really glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
LOVE! This was so delicious yet so simple! Thank you so much for sharing! Perfect for an Autumn (fall) day here in Melbourne 🙂
Thank you so much Katie!! xTieghan
This soup is stupid delicious. WOW. Definitely different than your average tomato soup in the best way possible. The harissa truly is key. Don’t be afraid of it. I added 3 heaping tablespoons and the soup wasn’t spicy at all. I felt it just added more depth to the soup. Topped with crispy chickpeas as recommended and some crusty bread. Loved this so much I sent the recipe to my friends and family to give it a try. A super easy and quick dinner that I will mostly likely make again next week because I’ll be craving it
Hi Jamie! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you!! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! My sister loved Campbell’s tomato soup as a kid and this looks like a terrific grown-up version. I’d love to make it for her. I do have a question about the cilantro. Step 4 says to add the cilantro, but it has already been added in step 2. (And step 3 is missing altogether.) Are you supposed to add half in each step, like the goat cheese?
Also, how much harissa paste would you use in place of the harissa sauce? I assume the paste is more concentrated, so you would need to use less. I have a tube of the paste but no sauce, and as my kitchen is quite small I don’t want to store both.
HI! You can just add the cilantro in step 2, that works great! I would use 1 tbs harissa paste. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
this soup is fantastic. I made it quite spicy but eating it grilled cheese provided the perfect balance. Thank you.
Thank you Michelle! xTieghan
So so yummy! I couldn’t find harissa sauce anywhere but used garlic chili paste instead and it added the perfect amount of spice. Will definitely be making this again!
Amazing! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Kathryn! Thank you! xTieghan
Super amazing soup with incredible flavors.
Thank you Debbie! xTieghan
I made this soup yesterday and I LOVE it! I couldn’t find Harissa Sauce so I roasted two red bell peppers on the burner of my stove and added Organic Harissa Seasoning to the recipe. I peeled the charred skin from the peppers, chopped them and added them to the blender mix. I always save some of the cooked chopped veggies to add back into my soups for texture. This soup was delicious, spicy, smoky and flavorful! Thank you for sharing all of your recipes. I make 1-3 of your recipes each week. We have been eating better than ever!
Aw that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I hope you continue to love others of mine! xTieghan
We have been veg-izing your recipes for years but it’s always nice to see one that is vegan to begin with! We made this when it was first published and a few times afterwards but have unfortunately forgotten about it lately. Looking forward to doing it again! I have left out the maple/honey and still love it. Also threw in some roasted butternut once. Thank you as always and stay safe and warm in all that snow this week!
Hi Amber! I am so glad you have been loving this recipe!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
My camera did not do this soup justice, but I can tell you it tasted amazing.. loving your blog and your creative streak on cooking, so very cool! such a talent 🙂 Shell (Ireland)
Thank you so much Shell! I hope you continue to enjoy my blog and recipes! xTieghan
This soup is amazing! It’s quick and easy and the fire roasted tomatoes and harissa take it to the next level.
Thank you so much Lauren! xTieghan
I just recently discovered your site through the wonderful photography and got hooked going through your recipes. This soup was fantastic! Loved how the flavors came together to make this rich and different tomato soup – easy and quick to make too. Sometimes, coconut flavor can be overpowering to me but that is definitely not the case with this soup. It just adds a richness. Thank you!
Hi Dee! Welcome! I am so happy to hear you have loved this recipe and the photos! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan— Looks yummy! I am saving this one, but want to ask if you have a recommended substitute of coconut milk? It’s not something I use in my cooking and am not likely to buy it just for one dish. Thanks so much!
Hi there! I recommend 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or whole milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Delicious! I just finished the last of it and I’ll be making it again for sure. This actually is a 20 minute recipe (unlike some others that say they are…) Today I didn’t have enough left-over for a nice big bowl, so I doubled down on the chickpeas, which I reheated in the air fryer at 200 for 4 minutes in the optional baking pan. It re-crisps them so nicely without adding even more oil.
Hi Anastasia! I am so happy this turned out so amazing for you! Thank you! xTieghan