




I was thinking about the creamy vegetable soup that I would sometimes eat as a youth recently–how it was loaded up with cream/milk, cheese etc. It was so tasty with crusty bread. How to make a version of that with the same amount of richness and flavour, and loaded with even more veggie goodness? I have my share of experience with vegan soups, but this was a new avenue for me.
Sun dried tomatoes come to the rescue with this creamy vegan vegetable stew! While the nineties are back, we might as well unabashedly enjoy this pantry staple. Sun dried tomatoes are super rich in umami flavour. Once we blend them up with some non-dairy “cream,” and add that into our super chunky veg stew, the result is rich, velvety, and mega flavourful. It’s also funny to me how sun dried tomatoes don’t taste overly tomato-y. Just super deep and complex with a twinge of that acid.
Some Tips for Making This Creamy Vegan Vegetable Stew:
- For unsweetened, dairy-free cream, I like this almond and coconut one by nutpods and this “heavy cream” option by Silk. You can also make your own by blending ½ cup cashews and 1½ cups water in a high speed blender.
- I find that the sun dried tomatoes that are packed dry (not in oil) tend to be less flavourful. You can definitely use them here, but the flavour won’t be as pronounced. Using the oil to sauté the veg is a nice flavour bonus too.
- You could substitute a lot of these veggies based on preference and what you have available. For me, the potatoes are essential because they impart even more creaminess to the finished stew. Make it your own!
- You can use Tamari or any other soy sauce instead of coconut aminos.
- I like to cut the broccoli and cauliflower florets nice and small so that they cook quickly.
I think I might have an affinity for orange soups? Just something about that sunset hue and all of those vegetables that feels good to even look at! Take a peak at this Ginger Sweet Potato Coconut Milk one and my Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Chowder. I know that this stew has a ton of chopping and it’s more of a weekend project, but sometimes good things take time! I hope that you can find a pocket to enjoy this one soon :)
If you want to freeze this stew, I would skip the baby spinach and basil! Just add those once your portion is thawed and you’re ready to reheat. Once prepared, this stew will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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Creamy Vegan Vegetable Stew with Sun Dried Tomato Broth

Ingredients
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
- 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy cream of choice (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons oil from the sun dried tomatoes jar (or olive oil)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1¼ cups)
- 3 medium carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 sticks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 medium new potatoes, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1 small zucchini, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 5 cups broccoli and cauliflower florets
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 2-3 handfuls baby spinach
- 1 handful chopped fresh basil
Equipment
Notes
- In terms of unsweetened, dairy-free cream, I like this almond and coconut one by nutpods and this “heavy cream” option by Silk. You can also make your own by blending ½ cup cashews and 1½ cups water in a high speed blender.
- I find that the sun dried tomatoes that are packed dry (not in oil) tend to be less flavourful. You can definitely use them here, but the flavour won’t be as pronounced.
- You could substitute a lot of these veggies based on preference and what you have available. For me, the potatoes are essential because they impart even more creaminess to the finished stew. Make it your own!
- You can use Tamari or any other soy sauce instead of coconut aminos.
- I like to cut the broccoli and cauliflower florets nice and small so that they cook quickly.
Instructions
- In an upright blender, combine the sun dried tomatoes and non-dairy cream. Blend on high until completely smooth. Set this aside.
- Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes and swirl it around.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and stir. Sauté until all of the vegetables are quite soft, about 10 full minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- To the pot, add the garlic, nutritional yeast, thyme, dried oregano, chili, paprika, and bay leaves. Sauté this mixture until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir. Cook for another full minute.
- Add the potatoes, zucchini, and corn to the pot and stir. Season again with salt and pepper. Pour in a bit of the vegetable stock and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Pour in the remaining vegetable stock as well as the sun dried tomato "cream," and stir. Place the lid on top of the pot, slightly askew.
- Bring the stew to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the stew until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.
- Once potatoes are tender, add the broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. Give the stew another season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, partially covered, until the broccoli/cauliflower florets and green beans are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut aminos and baby spinach. Once the baby spinach is wilted, check the stew for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Finish the soup with the chopped basil and extra black pepper if you like.

Just made this for dinner last night- so delicious! Really love using the sun dried tomatoes & cream blended together to thicken this. I only used 2-3c broth as I wanted mine a lot thicker. Definitely going into my regular rotation now.
I look forward to making this stew when the weather gets cooler.
Fall is here! This is my third time making it. It is Delicious and, dare I say, nutritious.
One of my fav dishes.
I have made this stew before. This is a great recipe and I like the flexibility with the vegetables. One can use more of one or less of another depending on what one has on hand. It has a mild, sweet and a little spicy taste. I love it.! It has become a favorite go to recipe in the
Winter here in New England.
This is so delicious! The flavor is great and I love getting so many veggies in one bowl :) I love having a big pot of soup in the fridge so I can heat up a nutritious meal quickly, and I plan to make this regularly.
I am dipping my toe in the vegan water and recipes like this make it feel so much more approachable. I made this for friends last night and it was a huge hit. So much flavor and perfectly filling. The sundried tomato blended with the cashew cream is so clever, and really tasty on it’s own (might use it for a pasta some day…) No major adjustments except I used a hair less vegetable stock so it was a bit thicker. I also topped it with a bit of fermented Calabrian chili paste for a little extra heat. Will for sure make this again.
Question-Could I do this in a slow cooker ??
You did it again Laura, my new fav soup/stew. So hearty meal, makes me feel so safe to have a big portion of this nurturing stew. This will be my new stable meal in cold wintertime. Thanks!
This was just superb! Thank you for the note of how to make my own cream for this recipe. Off to look over more of your recipes!
I made this last night and it is truly a magical potion that is better than the sum of its parts!
I followed the recipe pretty closely except I only had plain almond milk, not cream, and no green beans. It still felt plentiful and abundant with veggies filling the pot to the top. The broth was nicely spiced and truly prefect. It took longer than 40 mins but it was worth it! I’m looking forward to having leftovers all week. It felt indulgent and nourishing at the same time, an ideal hot meal for mid winter.
Just here to agree: do not coconut milk. :(
This was yummy! I doubled it to make some for the freezer and now we have so.much.soup! Lucky us :-) I added white beans for protein and swapped some of the veggies with what we had (like eggplant). And I used soy milk for the creamer. Garnished with scallions and mint, and served with rice.
This was delicious last night and even better as leftovers. It was a bit soupy, so I threw in some dry soy curls to bulk it up. Thanks Laura.
I’ve been enjoying this for the past several days! I cut down on the labor a bit by using pre-chopped cauliflower, frozen corn, and a frozen medley that had broccoli, zucchini, green beans, and peas. Lots of fresh basil definitely enhances it. I also add a splash of saffron-flavored vinegar to the bowl when serving.
This stew is so delicious. It is now my new favorite. It has all my favorite vegetables and flavors. I will definitely be adding this to my rotation of regular meals I make.
I have half a dozen plum tomatoes. Could I roast them and use instead of the sun dried tomatoes?
Hi Cheryl,
You could definitely do this! The intensity of the flavour may not be quite there, but there’s lots of other things going on in this stew that help out in the flavour department.
-L
This looks delicious..I can’t wait to get chopping. What would you suggest as a substitute for corn as I’m allergic to it?
Hi Kate,
The vegetables in this soup are pretty flexible! You could use more diced carrot or zucchini. Or you could even go in with a cup of diced butternut squash or frozen peas since they’re both also a bit sweet.
-L
Looks great! I prefer not to used highly processed veg creams, do you think canned coconut milk would work?
Hi Amy, I think coconut milk might be too intense of a flavour for this stew. Of course, if you don’t mind the way coconut mingles with tomato, feel free to use it. You can also take a look at my recipe notes for an un-processed DIY cream with cashews. If cashews aren’t your thing, you can also use sliced almonds, macadamia nuts (soak for at least 4 hours ahead of time) or raw sunflower seeds.
-L
I used 8 oz canned coconut cream plus some water blended with the sun dried tomatoes and it was delicious! The coconut flavor wasn’t individually noticeable.