Tomato Bisque Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes

This tomato bisque recipe with fresh tomatoes has a silky texture and rich flavor. I use fresh garden tomatoes for this recipe, but you can use roasted tomatoes or canned tomatoes as well. Any kind of whole tomatoes will work with this recipe.

This delicious tomato soup is our family favorite because it uses fresh ingredients like chopped basil and heirloom tomatoes, with a savory chicken stock base, giving it incredible flavor.

Sometimes I’ll serve this as an appetizer or snack by itself, with a side of saltine crackers. I like to top off this hot soup with homemade croutons, parmesan cheese, and a splash of cream.

Meal-prep this easy soup for weekday lunches, paired with grilled cheese sandwiches and thick slices of bacon.

What makes this soup a bisque?

Bisques are soups that are characterized by their super smooth texture. I like this because you can add different toppings to it, like croutons or crackers and shredded cheese to take the soup to another level.

You make this tomato soup recipe into a bisque simply blending it well with a blender, then adding half and half or heavy whipping cream. This creaminess is what gives the signature savory sweetness of a good bisque soup.

Pro Tip: For the absolute creamiest soup, peel and seed the tomatoes to ensure a super smooth texture of your soup.

Which tomatoes are best for homemade tomato soup?

I like Roma, plum, or meaty heirloom tomatoes because they have the best flavor, and they also taste great when roasted (for a roasted tomato soup option).

If you preferred canned tomatoes for convenience, use Unico or Hunt’s brand.

Best way to make tomato bisque?

You can make this recipe with the instant pot or slow cooker, but I like to whip out my Dutch oven and go with the stovetop method. Topped with fresh basil, it makes my home smell amazing.

Pro Tip: Allow it to simmer at least an hour to let the flavors develop. The longer you let it simmer, the richer the flavors will be.

Helpful equipment to have

It is very helpful to have a high quality blender of some sort to efficiently blend the ingredients until they are smooth. You can use:

• high speed blender
• immersion blender
• food processor
• ninja blender

If you don’t have any of these, you can throw it in any kind of portable blending unit and blend it in small batches. Or you can mash it by hand, but this might take a while.

The essentials

Roma tomatoes or something equivalent. You can used the canned variety too, in equal amounts.

Heavy whipping cream or half and half gives it the dense creaminess.

Lots of fresh vegetables: chopped onions, carrots, and tomatoes. You have a lot of flexibility here. I tend to add in an extra cup of veggies and the soup still tastes wonderful and creamy and not overwhelmingly vegetal.

A good unsalted butter makes a proper roux to bring out the flavor of the vegetables. I like using a grass-fed butter like Kerrygold because it tastes cleaner for me, and the purity of the butter keeps my energy high afterwards, rather than feeling the slump of using cheaper quality butter.

Tomato paste gives this creamy tomato soup its bright red color.

Add red pepper flakes to the roux make it spicy.

Substitutions

Use tomato sauce if you don’t have tomatoes.

Add garlic cloves for aroma.

Use basil to make it into a tomato basil soup.

Use vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian.

Coconut milk instead of heavy cream for a healthier option.

Roasted tomatoes for a sweet smoky taste

How to roast tomatoes

To make the tomatoes taste better, slow roast the tomato.

On a baking sheet, drizzle peeled and seeded whole tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes to 2 hours until it is roasted and browned.

Soup too thick? Or Thin?

If the soup is too thick, you can add broth in 1/2 cup increments. If it’s too thin, let it reduce longer.

Eat with toasted bread, cheesy bread, or crackers.

To make the tomatoes taste better, wlow roast the tomato by drizzling them with olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper, bake at 250′ for 30 min up to 2 hours until it is roasted and browned

Ingredients

• 7 roma tomatoes, crushed, keeping the juice too
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1.5 cup carrots, finely diced (about 3 carrots)
• 1.5 cups celery, finely diced (about 4 stalks celery)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

How to make it

1. Prepare the roux. Add butter to a large soup pot over medium-low heat, let it melt. Add carrots, onions, and celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions become translucent.
2. On low heat, stir in the flour and whisk together constantly for about 5-7 minutes. The roux should become a nice light golden color.
3. In a separate pot, warm up the chicken broth until boiling.
4. With a large ladle, add about 2 cups of chicken broth into the roux, stirring or whisking constantly to make sure it is well blended. The soup should be a little thick at this point.
5. Add diced tomatoes, the rest of the chicken broth, salt, sugar, pepper. Simmer, covered and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
6. Use an immersion blender or regular blender and puree until smooth. Return it to the soup pot.
7. Stir in the cheddar cheese and half and half. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until warmed through and a thicker consistency develops.
8. Add basil, stir. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
9. Top with more parmesan cheese, garnish, and torn croutons. Serve while hot.

Storage

Store in airtight container in fridge for 2-3 days, and 6 months in your fridge.

To properly freeze this soup, leave out the cream and shredded cheese before freezing it. Then add the cream and cheese after reheating. (Otherwise they may curdle when reheated from frozen.)

FAQs

How do tomato bisque and soup differ?

Tomato bisque has a creamy dairy milk component. Tomato soup is usually vegetable based.

What kind of salad goes best with tomato soup?

I like a Caesar salad or something creamy.

What if my tomatoes are too tart?

Add a pinch of baking soda to decrease the acidity of the tomatoes, and thus decrease the tartness.

What should I eat with my tomato soup?

A salad or a sandwich, or both.

Try my Grilled cheese sandwich with bacon.

What is the difference between tomato bisque and tomato soup?

Tomato bisque has a diary component, whereas the tomato soup does not. The tomato soup can be made vegan.

Is tomato bisque bad for you?

In moderation, tomato bisque is not bad for you. Substitute with more vegetables and less dairy and you’ll be fine. Or you can use coconut milk as an alternative to dairy milk.

Interesting Fact: A single tomato can provide about 40% of the daily recommended minimum of vitamin C.