This Homemade Tomato Bisque Soup recipe tastes rich and creamy with a lovely smooth texture. Easy enough for everyday enjoyment, yet fancy enough for special occasions!
When I was in college, one of my favorite comfort foods was tomato bisque from a local grocery store here, Safeway.
I loved how rich and silky it was, with the perfect balance of creaminess to acidity. It was just the right amount of tomato and garlicky flavors with a strong dairy backbone.
Of course, this soup was about 1,000 calories per serving. A slight embellishment, but I imagine you know what I mean if you are accustomed to the nutrition facts of creamy soups.
Were the calories worth it, you ask? Every single time! This is always my response when it comes to making a calculated tradeoff.
While I have made Chunky Tomato Basil Soup numerous times, it wasn’t until recently that I made Tomato Bisque homemade.
Which brings me to my next point!
Difference Between Tomato Soup and Tomato Bisque:
Tomato soup can be chunky or blended, whereas tomato bisque is thick, creamy, and contains a decent amount of cream.
In this sense, there can be a lot of variety in the consistency and flavor of tomato soup, as it can be thick or soupy. This in contrast to the rich, smooth and thick nature of tomato bisque.
Similar to the relationship between whisky and bourbon, all tomato bisques are tomato soup, but not all tomato soups are tomato bisques.
For me, the velvety texture and rich tomato flavor of this tomato bisque recipe equates to the perfect comfort food. Enjoy it with toasted bread and butter or a classic grilled cheese sandwich!
Let’s dive into the details of this easy soup recipe!
Tomato Bisque Ingredients:
The basic ingredients for tomato bisque are tomatoes, onion, fresh garlic, broth, cream, dried basil or fresh basil, and salt and pepper.
Let us discuss each ingredient in detail below, as they all serve an important purpose.
Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes: Tomatoes aren’t always in season, so for the rest of the year, using canned whole tomatoes is ideal.
I buy one 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, which come in their own juices.
I find canned tomatoes yield the best results unless you grow a home garden with amazing fresh tomatoes.
Onion, Garlic, and Carrots: Added for the sole purpose of enhancing the flavors of the soup, we use rustic onion and garlic and creamy sweet carrots.
The carrots add a natural sweetness to the soup, which helps counterbalance some of the acidity.
Chicken Broth: We need one cup of liquid for this delicious soup recipe, and I like using chicken bone broth. Water or vegetable broth works too.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream: Arguably one of the most important ingredients! We need some form of fat to level out the acidic tomatoes.
I like using canned full-fat coconut milk to keep it dairy-light, but heavy whipping cream works great too. In fact, traditional tomato bisque is made with heavy cream.
Butter and Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic, we need some form of cooking oil. I like using a combination of unsalted butter and avocado oil.
The butter adds that classic flavor and avocado oil helps protect the butter from burning during the cooking process since it has a higher smoke point.
Olive oil works too as long as you’re cooking over medium heat.
Flour (optional): For thicker soup, make the optional roux in the recipe card below. It involved butter and flour.
I use gluten-free all-purpose flour to make gluten-free tomato bisque, but you can just as easily use regular all purpose flour.
Fresh Basil or Dried Basil: Tomatoes and basil go together marvelously! Sweet basil adds an herby complement to the soup, which makes it taste so rustic. You can just as easily use dried basil instead.
Salt and Pepper: Add sea salt and pepper to your personal taste! This is highly subjective for each individual, so if the soup tastes bland, keep adding a little salt until it tastes right.
Red Pepper Flakes: For a little kick of heat, add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to your personal taste. Be cautious with the amount, because a little bit goes a long way!
Recipe Adaptations:
- If you don’t have carrots on hand, you can skip them and add 2 teaspoons of sugar to counterbalance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- I have seen many recipes for tomato bisque that include celery. While I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum, I leave the celery out because I don’t care for the flavor or the added fibrous texture it imparts. Feel free to add 1 to 2 stalks of celery and cook it with the onion and carrots if you’d like.
- For silky soup, follow the steps below for straining the fibers.
- Whole milk or half & half can be used to replace the cream, although you will need to also make a roux at the end using more butter and more flour, as well as more milk to get the rich consistency.
- Use water or vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
That is it for the simple ingredients for creamy tomato soup.
This family favorite it perfect for a chilly day! Let’s make it!
How to Make Tomato Bisque Soup:
Heat the butter and avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (I use my Dutch oven) over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped onion and carrots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and continue sautéing another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
Pour the whole tomatoes (including their juices), chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water), and full-fat canned coconut milk into the pot.
Cover and bring the soup to a full boil. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Note: if you’re using heavy cream instead of coconut milk, add it at the end of the 20-minute cooking process.
Stir in the fresh basil leaves and sea salt. Let soup cool for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is no longer hot.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup, or transfer the soup to a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes, or until creamy.
Only use a blender if you have a quality blender you trust, with a lid that has a removable insert to let steam escape. Many older blenders are notorious for blowing their tops off when hot liquid is put inside.
Certain brands of modern blenders, such as KitchenAid, Wolf, Blendtec, and Vitamix can handle warm liquid, although the center insert of the lid should always be removed, and the speed should always be low.
If you have any doubts as to whether or not your traditional blender can handle this creamy tomato soup recipe, allow it to cool completely to room temperature or lower before blending it.
Once blended, taste the soup for flavor and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
For thicker tomato bisque, follow these instructions for the optional thickener.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a large thick-bottomed pot (I use the same pot as I did for the soup) over medium heat until melted.
Once melted, add 2 tablespoons of flour (I use a gluten-free flour blend). Stir the flour into the butter until it has completely dissolved and the butter is slightly bubbly.
Pour the soup back into the pot carefully and bring it to a simmer or a gentle boil. Avoid heating the soup too quickly, as it splatters when boiling.
Cook soup for another 5 to 10 minutes to thicken it.
Serve tomato bisque soup with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top with crusty bread, homemade croutons, or grilled cheese sandwiches, and enjoy!
I like to drizzle a little cream or coconut milk on top of the soup too.
How to Make Silky Tomato Bisque Soup:
There are three things you can do to make silky smooth creamy tomato bisque soup.
- Blend the Soup Thoroughly: Blend soup for long enough for it to count. In a quality blender, this will take about 1 to 2 minutes (time it to be sure).
- Strain the Soup: Pour the soup through a fine mesh strainer or sieve to remove the pulp from the onion and tomatoes. If you choose to do the optional thickening step, be sure to strain the soup prior to thickening it.
- Follow the Roux Step: For ultra creamy tomato bisque, perform the thickening step in the recipe card.
- Bonsu Step: Consider Adding More Cream: The level of creaminess of the soup is directly proportional to how much full-fat canned coconut milk or cream you add.
Storage Options:
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If there is room in your refrigerator, you can also store it in the pot you used to make it, covered with a lid.
Freeze soup double bagged in large zip lock bags for up to three months.
This healthy soup recipe saves very well, so it can easily be made in advance. When you’d like to serve it, reheat it in a large pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Take your time in reheating the soup, as it likes to splatter if heated too quickly.
The next time you’re craving cozy homemade soup, whip up this easy recipe! It is the perfect companion to cheese quesadillas or grilled cheese sandwiches, and is the perfect light lunch with green salad.
Because of its rich and silky texture, I love using this soup as a sort of appetizer or side dish when serving guests.
Keep it on regular rotation if your whole family is a fan of tomato soup!
If you love homemade soup recipes, also try these reader favorites!
Explore More Soup Recipes:
- Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Easy Vegetable Soup
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup
- Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup
- Coconut Curry Vegetable Soup
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Creamy tomato basil soup for life!
Tomato Bisque Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 large carrots diced
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes undrained
- 1 cup chicken broth*
- ½ to 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or heavy cream***
- 3 fresh basil leaves optional**
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
For Thickening (Optional):
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour****
Instructions
- Heat the butter and avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (I use my Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and carrots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue sautéing another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour the whole tomatoes (including their juices), chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water), and full-fat canned coconut milk into the pot. Cover and bring the soup to a full boil. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Note: if you’re using heavy cream instead of coconut milk, add it at the end of the 20-minute cooking process.
- Stir in the fresh basil leaves and sea salt. Let soup cool for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is no longer hot.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup, or transfer the soup to a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes, or until creamy. Only use a blender if you have a quality blender you trust, with a lid that has a removable insert to let steam escape. Many older blenders are notorious for blowing their tops off when hot liquid is put inside. Certain brands of modern blenders, such as KitchenAid, Wolf, BlendTec, and Vitamix can handle warm liquid, although the center insert of the lid should always be removed, and the speed should always be low. If you have any doubts as to whether or not your traditional blender can handle this creamy tomato soup recipe, allow it to cool completely to room temperature or lower before blending it.
- Once blended, taste the soup for flavor and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste. You can stop here, or strain the soup using a fine strainer to make it silkier. You can also follow the instructions below to thicken the soup.
Optional Step for Thickening Soup:
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a large thick-bottomed pot (I use the same pot as I did for the soup) over medium heat until melted. Once melted, add 2 tablespoons of flour (I use a gluten-free flour blend). Stir the flour into the butter until it has completely dissolved and the butter is slightly bubbly.
- Pour the soup back into the pot carefully and bring it to a simmer or a gentle boil. Avoid heating the soup too quickly, as it splatters when boiling. Cook soup for another 5 to 10 minutes to thicken it.
- Serve tomato bisque soup with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top with crusty bread, crunchy croutons, or grilled cheese sandwiches, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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