Tempeh Tomato Vegetable Soup Recipe

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/15/22
Tempeh Tomato Vegetable Soup in bowls

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Like soup? Like tempeh? Try this easy vegetarian tempeh tomato and vegetable soup recipe by Lightlife Foods!

This is a homemade garden vegetable soup recipe with a bounty of carrots, onions and added tempeh to give it a protein boost for vegetarians, vegans and of course meatless Monday dinners! For the kids, you can serve up this tempeh and tomato soup recipe with a vegan grilled cheese sandwich for a classic American lunch, veganized.

This soup recipe is vegetarian, vegan, and low in calories, and, if needed, it can easily be made gluten-free. You'll need to make sure that the tempeh you use is gluten-free (most are, but a few aren't, so read the label) as well as the vegetable broth (or, make your own homemade vegetable broth). All of the other ingredients are safe for anyone with gluten sensitivities. 

If you like cooking with tempeh, you'll love this simple ​vegetarian tempeh recipe, or, if it's tomato soup you're looking for, there are even more healthy vegetarian tomato soup recipes to try.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
  • 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1 8-ounce package tempeh (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Tempeh Tomato Vegetable Soup ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  2. In a large soup pot, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and the salt and heat, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the onion is soft.

    Onions in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  3. Add in the sliced carrots, then cover the soup pot, and reduce the heat to low. Allow the carrots to cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

    Onions and carrots in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  4. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the vegetable broth is boiling, reduce the heat to a slow simmer and allow to heat, covered, for another 30 minutes.

    Onions, carrots and broth in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  5. In a blender or with an immersion blender, carefully purée the soup mixture in batches until smooth and creamy, then add in the tomato paste and lemon juice and blend for a few seconds just to incorporate. Set aside.

    Carrot and onion mixture pureed in a pot on a burner with an immersion blender

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  6. In a skillet, heat the two remaining tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the cubed tempeh and cook for 3 to five minutes, stirring frequently to cook the tempeh evenly on all sides. Add dill and cook for 30 seconds.

    Tempeh cubes and herbs in a pan on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  7. Ladle soup into six bowls and top each bowl with cooked tempeh and dill.

    Tempeh Tomato Vegetable Soup in a pot and tempeh in a bowl, poured into bowls with a ladle

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
248 Calories
14g Fat
23g Carbs
12g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 248
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 849mg 37%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Protein 12g
Calcium 105mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)