
The best part is that this simple soup is made with ingredients that keep in your pantry for months (if not years) so it’s a great little recipe to have in your ’emergency meal’ arsenal.

Yuuummy Spiced Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 1 jar tomato passata / puree or 700mL / 3 cups
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons harissa optional
- 2 handfuls roast hazelnuts roasted
Instructions
- Heat a little oil in a medium saucepan. Dice onion and add to the pot. Cover and cook on a medium heat, stirring every few minutes until the onion is soft but not browned. About 10 minutes.
- When the onion is soft, add the passata / puree (not concentrated tomato paste) and coconut milk. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.
- Remove from the heat and puree using a stick blender or regular blender. Add harissa. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more harissa if needed. To serve, divide between two bowls and top with roasted hazelnuts.
Variations
no harissa – Harissa is a Moroccan spice paste that’s pretty much chilli and carraway seeds. I usually buy mine from my supermaket but most good delis will stock it too. Feel free to skip it (the little ones will be happy) or use fresh chopped chilli, Marco’s Chilli Oil or your favourite hot sauce instead.
curry spice – add 2-3 teaspoons curry powder or garam masala when the onion is soft and skip the harissa.
no coconut milk – replace with whipping cream or any of your favourite dairy-free creams. You can use coconut cream it will just be much richer and more filling.
different tomato – you could use your favourite tomato-based pasta sauce instead. Or use 2 cans tomatoes (diced) and simmer for longer to reduce down before pureeing.
chunky – skip the pureeing.
more veg – add diced carrot and celery with the onion.
short on time – skip the onion (or add a teaspoon onion powder).
more substantial (carb lovers) – add in cooked chickpeas, white beans or black beans. Or serve with warm flat bread, tortillas or crusty bread. Cooked noodles would also work.
more substantial (low carb) – add mayo, Parmesan, extra nuts or simmer diced chicken.
small-person friendly – skip the harissa (or add after you’ve served the children) and serve with a side or plain buttered pasta for any skeptical 4-year-olds.
carnivore – simmer diced chicken, sausage or bacon in the soup after pureeing until just cooked through.
nut-free – replace hazelnuts with warm cooked chickpeas or croutons. Or drizzle some chilli oil on top.
keto / ultra low carb – try this spinach soup instead.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
onion – will keep in the pantry for months. Best if in a dark corner in a brown paper bag.
tomato passata / tomato puree / coconut cream / harissa / hazelnuts – keep them in the pantry.

Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
This soup is delicious! I also included carrot and celery as I had it in the fridge, and threw in a can of cannelini beans. My husband said the only thing that would make it better would be to add some mussels – so I might do that next time!
ooh yeah on the mussels Caitlin 🙂
This was perfect for our snowy weekend. I used the coconut milk, added a can of whole tomatoes and substituted berbere seasoning. What a great soup, and I got to share some with coworkers the next day. They all loved it.
Brilliant Meredith!
The recipe sometimes says coconut cream, and other times says coconut milk. Those are two very different things… Which is supposed to be used?
Thanks for spotting the error Anne!
I originally used coconut cream but then decided it was too rich and better with coconut milk so changed the recipe but forgot to change everything else!
So glad you asked the question 🙂
Great! Coconut milk is what I bought. Thank you!
oh good – enjoy Anne!
Yesterday I made this soup with roasted tomatoes that I pureed before adding. They truly made the soup better than ever. This is what I meant to put in yesterday’s comment. I roasted the tomatoes and left them in the hot oven over night.
Just made this for lunch, it was delicious.. I used fresh chilli as I did not have harissa in the cupboard. 1000% on the canned tamato soup..
oh yay Margaret!
I need to make it again soon 🙂
Never even liked the idea of tomato soup so I never tried. Until today. Included carrots and celery, used normal cream and forgot about harissa and… It’s delicious! I am looking forward to eating the leftover tomorrow!
ooh yum Irina! Love your additions 🙂
Delicious. Had no harissa so used jalepeno chilli from garden. Enjoyed the bite
Yum Margaret!
I have some jalapenos growing this year too… aren’t they lovely?
Jx