Midwinter is the perfect time for a hot, hearty bowl of soup. This keto-friendly Creamy Garlic and Tomato Soup is warm, comforting, and simple to prepare. It combines mellow garlic with rich tomato and gains extra creaminess from a little-known ingredient that naturally thickens the soup.
Tips for making the Creamy Tomato and Garlic Soup
This soup comes together quickly and adapts well to variations. Use the best-quality canned coconut milk you can find — ideally one containing only water and organic coconut without thickeners or preservatives. Coconut manna (pureed coconut flesh) is the secret natural thickener in this recipe. If you can’t find it, see the variations section below for substitutions.
To prepare, simply combine the tomatoes, coconut milk, coconut manna, and garlic (fresh or powder) in a saucepan. Heat while stirring until it reaches a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly so the coconut manna dissolves evenly.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15–20 minutes.
After simmering, add salt to taste and puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender until smooth and velvety. Be careful when blending hot liquids. The soup deepens in color as it becomes uniform.
Serve the soup topped with small cubes of mozzarella or a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil for brightness and richness.
My Creamy Tomato and Garlic Soup experiments
The idea to add coconut manna to a vegetable soup came from my business partner, who has used it successfully in pureed vegetable recipes. I wanted to recreate a childhood favorite — my mother’s thick, faint-red creamy tomato soup — but make it low-carb and dairy-free. Combining tomato, coconut milk, and coconut manna produced the thick, satisfying consistency I remembered, without gluten or flour.
My first trial used canned coconut milk, tomato paste, coconut manna, and salt. The soup turned out smooth after blending, but I experimented with seasonings to enhance the flavor. I tried onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, and Cajun seasoning in small test batches.
Results of the seasoning tests (informal): onion powder improved the base flavor, garlic powder paired exceptionally well and was the clear favorite, oregano was pleasant but not fully complementary, and Cajun seasoning flattened the mouthfeel in my tests. Based on this, I used garlic (either powder or fresh) in the final recipe.
I also adjusted the tomato component to increase volume and flavor, switching from tomato paste to a full 400 g can of crushed Italian tomatoes. A successful batch used 400 g crushed tomatoes, 400 ml coconut milk, 1/4 cup coconut manna, 2 crushed garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer 15 minutes, blend, and serve with mozzarella and olive oil.
I tested a dairy version with heavy cream as well; it was rich and delicious but required slightly longer cooking to thicken. If you prefer to avoid any coconut flavor, heavy cream provides an alternate creamy base. Coconut manna does not add a noticeable coconut taste but gives excellent body to the soup.
Give this recipe a try on a chilly day — it’s an easy way to impress family or guests with minimal effort.
Here is the recipe:
Creamy Garlic and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 14-oz can (400 g) diced or crushed tomatoes
- 14-oz can (400 ml) coconut milk
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut manna
- 2 crushed garlic cloves OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (or to taste) natural salt such as unrefined sea salt or Himalayan salt
- For serving: cubed mozzarella and/or extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the tomatoes, coconut milk, coconut manna, and garlic in a saucepan. Heat over high heat until boiling.
- Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender until smooth and velvety.
- Season with salt to taste. Serve topped with cubed mozzarella and/or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Tags
| Nutrition information | In total | Per serving if 4 servings in total |
| Protein | 16.0 g | 4.0 g |
| Fat | 85.4 g | 21.3 g |
| Net carbs | 27.2 g | 6.8 g |
| kcal | 966 kcal | 242 kcal |
Tips for variations
You can easily vary this soup by trying different seasonings or toppings. Consider cumin, caraway, ginger, rosemary, curry, white pepper, marjoram, tarragon, or smoked paprika. For toppings, toasted seeds or nuts (pumpkin seeds, sesame, macadamia), fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, mint, parsley), or proteins such as cooked cubed chicken, chopped boiled eggs, or shrimp work well.
If you can’t find coconut manna, omit it and simmer the soup a bit longer without a lid to reduce and thicken, or substitute creamed coconut.
General notes
Wishing you a warm winter — this soup is an easy, satisfying choice to enjoy at home or serve to guests. It adapts well to dietary preferences and is quick to prepare, making it ideal for busy days when you still want something comforting and homemade.
