Tomato Bisque is a super silky smooth version of the classic tomato soup we all love so much! Ready in an hour with no babysitting the pot.
Soup season is rushing in, and I’m all about cozy Soup Recipes to keep me warm. Some of my other favorites bisques around here are Lobster Bisque and Crawfish Bisque.
Why You’ll Love This Bisque?
- Creamy, flavorful bisque made in only an hour that the whole family will love.
- Can be made with all of those fresh garden tomatoes or canned diced tomato.
Sabrina’s Tomato Bisque Recipe
If you’re a fan of Tomato Soup you are probably picturing a mostly smooth but hearty soup that stands up to Grilled Cheese dipping. Don’t worry you can still do that! But, in this case, you have a silky, luxurious soup with added cream to make it extra rich and flavorful. Serve this to a delighted and impressed crowd of people. This bisque is perfect to eat on a cold afternoon or would make the perfect starter to a Holiday meal.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 2 stalks celery , diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon parsley
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion, celery, salt, pepper, cayenne and basil for about 5-6 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add in the garlic and stir an additional 45 seconds before adding in the broth, tomatoes, and sugar.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes before blending until perfectly smooth with an immersion blender.
- Add in the heavy cream, mix well and serve using more heavy cream and parsley as garnishes.
Nutrition
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Sabrina’s Tips
Using fresh tomatoes can make a delicious dish, but first you should ask yourself if the tomatoes are flavorful enough. You want gorgeous, maybe slightly too ripe or soft tomatoes that are still delicious. To prepare them for the recipe, boil them for 60 seconds, then shock them in ice water before peeling; de-seed the tomatoes before adding them to the recipe.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
This creamy bisque is perfect to make when the weather starts to cool down and the crop of garden tomatoes is coming to an end. This recipe uses a good-quality crushed tomatoes to save time, but if your garden is over flowing with tomatoes, this is a great time to use them all up. The tomatoes are added to some sautéd aromatics, simple seasonings and finished off with heavy cream to make this bisque extra decadent. Serve your bowl with a little extra swirl of cream on top since it’s sweater season and calories don’t count! Right?
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can easily make this soup ahead of time since it will stay good for 4 days. Simply reheat it and serve when you are ready to eat. You could even plan to make a few batches of this soup to keep in your freezer for a quick and easy meal when you need one. Just hold off on adding the cream if you plan to freeze the soup and add it when you are serving it.
Serving Ideas
Top your soup off with some croutons, Parmesan Crisps, or some crispy, crumbled Bacon. When serving, you can add a touch of heavy cream or Basil Pesto in a circular pattern to enhance the visual appeal. If you want to make it even more fun, use a toothpick to make designs through swirl. I usually make figure 8s.
How to Store
- Store: Don’t leave your creamy bisque out for more than 2 hours. Once it’s cooled, store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: You can easily reheat this soup on medium-low heat on the stove. You could also reheat it in the microwave in 30 second intervals until it is heated to your desired consistency.
- Freeze: It is not recommended to freeze this soup as the dairy will separate in it once it freezes. If you want to freeze it, don’t add the cream. Freeze for up to 4 months and then add the cream after it’s reheated.
Slow Cooker Method
- Add oil to a pan and sauté the onions, celery, garlic and seasonings until onions are translucent.
- Note: If you are short on time, or don’t want to dirty an extra pan, just throw everything in the slow cooker. However, sautéing everything first will add to the depth of flavor, so I do recommend it.
- Add the veggies to the slow cooker. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and sugar.
- Cook on Low for 5-6 hours or High for 3-4 hours.
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender.
- Add heavy cream and top with parsley. Enjoy!
Frequent Questions
In the most classic version to call it a bisque you’d need to use a stock from shellfish, but in current incarnations the difference can be the texture in addition to the use of heavy cream in the soup.
You will need about 2-2.5 pounds of tomatoes to replace the diced tomato in this bisque.
You can easily blend this bisque in a regular blender but you are going to need to do it in batches so it doesn’t overflow when you are blending it. Also, make sure to remove the plastic lid so that the heat can escape. Just use a kitchen towel to cover the hole gently so that soup doesn’t splash out on you.
Variations
- Vegan: If you want to make a lighter tomato bisque, or even a vegan one, you can swap out the heavy cream for coconut milk and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
- Mix-ins: Add some Rotisserie Chicken, tortellinis, spinach or kale, or Parmesan Cheese if you want a little extra texture and flavor.
Roasted Tomato Bisque
- If you want to make the flavors bolder and you’re using fresh tomatoes you can roast them before adding them to the soup.
- First cut them in half and de-seed them.
- Toss them with olive oil and kosher salt and roast them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
- When they’re done roasting peel off the skin before adding them to the soup and continuing the recipe as described.
Related Recipes
More Creamy Soup Recipes
Photos used in previous versions of the post:
OMG!! This was seriously restaurant quality! The only thing I changed is I added 1/2 a shallot and I sautés some fresh basil and a handful of grape tomatoes then I used a handheld blender. And a touch more garlic, because why not? One of my most favorite soups I have ever made. Thank you for the recipe!!!
GREAT soup. I made it as written, only thing was I added two pinches of cayenne rather than one. That made it a bit too spicy, my fault for using two pinches, but given I will save this recipe as a regular in my rotation of meals, I will know next time to only use one pinch of cayenne. The other flavors and textures were perfect. This soup could have been on the menu of a restaurant. As it was, I guess with mine being a bit too spicy, a restaurant could have called it “spicy tomato bisque.” LOL. Thanks for a great recipe to use over and over again!
This is the BEST tomato soup recipe EVER!??. I did improvise by adding about 1/3 c. fresh chopped basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, went with only 2/3 onion, and added about 14 oz extra crushed tomatoes because I like a lot of tomato flavor. Any one who says this recipe wasn’t good, did not follow the recipe or didn’t use an immersion blender to create a nice, smooth tomato soup consistency. Will definitely make this again ?. Thank. you so much for sharing!
Thanks for the kind words, Patti.
hi! i’m excited to try this recipe this weekend! if i wanted to add parmesan cheese, how much do you think i should add and should it go in before or after serving?
I would just add it before serving. Enjoy!
I’ m sorry , the question mark at tge end of my pist was a typo . I meant to say…..
I make this recipe all the time. I fill a thermos full for my husband when he goes fishing with his buddies. I like to add white wine as part of the liquid portion (1/2 a cup.) Thank you again. It is delicious.
I make this recipe all the time. I fill a thermos full for my husband when he goes fishing with his buddies. I like to add white wine as part of the liquid portion (1/2 a cup.) Thank you again. It is delicious. ?
This was delicious and my 8 year old who doesn’t eat any soup and is not a fan of tomatoes loved it too! I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!
I love it when that happens. Thanks for coming back to let me know, Randi.
I made this soup twice in the past week. It is so good and so easy. I was intimidated to make this until I saw your recipe. It is awesome! Thank you for a wonderful and delicious soup.
Good overall flavor. But it’s not thick like I would expect from a bisque and it doesn’t have depth to it. Wish it would have advise to either get a can of crushed tomatoes or given direction on how to manually crush in the recipe. I bought 28 oz of cherry tomatoes and then had to find instructions for how to crush them, which is quite laborious prep work.
The recipe calls for a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
Michelle, the recipe literally calls for crushed tomatoes. These reviews are wild. People paying zero attention or others who have completely changed the recipe. You made your own recipe because you read wrong and then want to blame the chef.
What a wonderful, easy recipe! I added some tomato paste and bag leaf; then finished off with a little sherry. I almost missed the immersion blender step – so glad I didn’t! What a game changer! I can absolutely see how this could be even more next level of crab and shrimp were added!
Thanks for this simple, yet wonderful recipe. I used ripe Early Girl tomatoes straight off of my garden vine, skipped the use of the cream, and it was still heavenly. Went great with “non-fancy, non-grown-up” grilled cheese sandwiches!
This recipe is perfect JUST the way it is! I have tried so many tomato bisque recipes in the past that have been too runny and had either too much garlic, too much salt, or lacked a tomato flavor, but this one is creamy and all the flavors are perfectly balanced.
This has been my go to recipe, and I have it memorized by heart! These days, I add a tablespoon of uncooked rice because I like my bisque to have a “meatier” thicker consistency when it’s puréed.
You are too kind, Susan. I’m so happy you love it so much!
This soup tasted like water. I followed the directions to a T. It looked good but it did NOT taste good.
This soup is delicious!
Thanks, Jenny!
How large is a single serving and about how many cups of soup does this make?
A single serving is about 1 cup. It makes about 12 cups of soup. Enjoy!
Wondering if this can be frozen? It’s delicious and I’d like to make a big batch! Thank you
Absolutely! It is delicious thawed. To keep it tasting as fresh as possible it would taste best if you add the heavy cream in right before serving. If you can’t do that don’t worry it’ll still be delicious.
One of my friends is now a vegan, and I’m starting to gather some recipes that would suit her diet when she comes to visit. I love tomato soup during cold weather and was wondering if substituting vegetable broth for chicken would alter the taste greatly. Also, is your recipe easily adjustable for fewer servings? Some recipes taste different when adjusted.
You can easily substitute with vegetable broth.
Love this recipe! I like to add some shrimp or imitation crab to it at the very end of preparation – it has been a big hit at family gatherings!
Sounds amazing!
Absolutely delish! I used an immersion blender & left just a bit of texture to the carrots & onions. Also, I thought I had cayenne, but I didn’t. So I subbed with a bit of harissa.
This soup is the perfect comfort food. Thanks so much for this!
Sorry – to the CELERY & onions. ACK!!! 🙂
So yummy and so easy! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Emily!
What quantity of fresh tomatoes for roasting?
You’ll need enough to equal 28 ounces once pureed.
Could using a hand mixer substitute for an immersion blender?
No, you’re better off using a blender or food processor to get the smooth texture.
So I have to say, I was skeptical that may children, seven and five years old would like this, and I was skeptical that I would screw something up, since I am not a regular cook. My seven year old boy went to Midieval Times and had the Tomato Bisque Soup there and really liked it. He is not much of a soup person either. SO the recipe listed seemed simple enough. I wasn’t sure if it would be sweet enough since it only had a teaspoon of sugar. It turned out excellent. Both my children loved helping out, from putting the ingredients in the pot, to putting the hot vegetable soup in the blender before adding the cream. Tasted really good. Came out creamy. The teaspoon of sugar was just enough as well, and with all of the seasoning, it was extremely tasty.
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know. I know how hard it can be to please everyone, especially kids.
Great recipe thanks! I made it and it’s delicious. The only thing I would tweak is to add some carrots in place of sugar, half the amount of cream and more of each spice ?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this last night with fancy grown up grilled cheese sandwiches. It was AMAZING!! I have always been a Campbells girl for tomato soup and I’ll never be able to go back now. This recipe is definitely going in the rotation.
Oooh grown up grilled cheese – love to know what those were!
Thanks for the review and happy to hear you enjoyed so much!
Haha!! We got crusty sourdough bread from the bakery and filled it with Havarti, Gruyere, and Gouda. It was the perfect compliment to the soup!
Sounds amazing!
Can you substitute plain yogurt for the Heavy cream?
You can, but you will want to temper the yogurt and not add it cold all at once or it will curdle.
At first I thought it was just OK until I tweaked it by adding some paprika and extra cream and sugar. Up until then, it was a bit bitter which was probably from the tomatoes. So feel free to add more sugar as not all tomatoes are the same ;o)
So glad you were able to make it fit your taste! Tomato soup is great because it can take on so many flavors! 🙂
Was looking for a smooth bisque. This was absolutely delicious. I ended up making this my main course.
It very easily becomes a main… especially when I’m the only one around and can have as many bowls as I want 😀
I am just curious. Can I make the base of the soup earlier in the day and reheat it before adding the cream or should I just add the cream and then reheat it for dinner later?
Personally I would add the cream after reheating, since it will store/reheat better without the cream added.
This bisque provides a fantastic, full flavor…perfect with a grilled pimento cheese sandwich!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and um, grilled pimento cheese?? Yes, please!
Tender, juicy and good flavor! Big hit with our family. Quick and easy preparation. Will definitely make again.
This is my favourite soup!! Thanks so much. I use coconut milk and I wanted to know if this soup will freeze well?
Yes 🙂
so yummy!!!! made this the other day, mom and sis tasted it and and said tastes even better than famoso’s tomato bisque. my bf is again requesting for this tonight. thanks for sharing
Yay, sounds like a winner! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Absolutely delicious! Both hubby and I are obsessed! ?
How much chicken bullion (instead of chicken broth) can we use ?
You can use 4 teaspoons of chicken bouillon base disolved in 32 oz of boiling water to equal the 4 cups of broth you’ll need. Hope this helps!
This was so yummy!! I don’t have an immersion blender so used my regular blender – in small batches (messy if over-filled). Served with grilled cheese sandwiches. Great recipe!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
can you use half and half instead of cream for this soup.
You can but it’ll be thinner.
Love this! Added a bit of parmesean cheese to take it over the top!
Made the Tomato Bisque Soup tonight. I’m a guy who just wanted to see if I could and boy did it turn out great! Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Yay!! So glad you decided to try!
I don’t have an immersion blender could just use regular blender, and at what point do I do this step?
You could use a blender but you’d have to be very carfeful not to over fill it. Also, there needs to be a place for the steam to escape while you’re blending it. Good luck!
Did you use Better than Bouillon Chicken base or just boxed chicken broth?
I used the Better than Bouillon base to make my broth. You can use whatever way you prefer. Enjoy!
Hello! So you said in the most classic version of a bisque they use stock from shellfish, does that mean we can substitute that instead of the chicken broth? Would that taste good?
I haven’t tried it but I think it sounds amazing!
So easy to make and just delicious! Thank you, Sabrina!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the 5 star rating!
Hi, I was thinking of throwing a few fire roasted bell peppers in this. Would that turn out all right?
Sounds delicious!
So, what then, is the difference between cream of tomato and tomato bisque?
In the most classic version to call it a bisque you’d need to use a stock from shellfish, but in current incarnations the difference can be the texture in addition to the use of heavy cream in the soup.
I noticed it makes 12 servings….are those 1 cup servings? Sorry if I missed that somewhere. Looks delicious! 🙂
Yes, 1 cup servings. I hope you enjoy it!
This looks super tasty and easy to make!
I hope you enjoy it!
This is my kind of comfort food! Love the creamy flavors of tomato bisque, it’s great as soup and as a pasta sauce, too!
I love a good tomato bisque, your’s looks perfect!
Thanks Tanya!
Tomato bisque is my very favorite type of tomato soup. Looks delicious!
This is one of my favorite soups. Also..heavy cream makes everything better.
Totally agree!!
I have fresh tomatoes. Would they substitute in for this recipe?
Yes!
Fabulous. Just made. Love, love, love
So glad you enjoyed it, Barbara!
How creamy and delicious does this look?!? We love tomato based soups and this is something that is going on our menu right away. Yum!
I hope you enjoy it!