Tomato Bisque is the MOTHER of all Tomato Soups, guys. It’s like regular tomato soup and creamy potato soup got together and had a baby. Instead of being just tomato-based it has the full trifecta of carrot-onions-celery (the holy trinity) that brings in so much flavor and umami. It comes together quickly, and has very simple ingredients. It’s the perfect recipe for a chilly day, a cozy weekend, and is quick (and healthy) enough for any week night.
My mom has a text thread going with all of her 20+ grandkids. I get to be on it because I have little kids with no phones that she wants to include. Mostly it’s vacation pictures and life updates, but yesterday she sent this comic strip and an offering:
GrandmaBot is here for you! Do you need my mom’s phone number?? Homespun wisdom doesn’t just grow on trees these days guys. Mom, you are the best 😂 I want to be a grandma like you someday!!
Back to the comic—did you guys read Blondie as a kid? It was a classic for me growing up! I miss reading comics in the newspaper. My parents still get the local paper (the Manteca Bulletin!!) and I actually love seeing my kids curl up with it when we visit.
THIS SOUP
Okay okay enough talk of yesteryear and days gone by, today I have to tell you about THIS SOUP.
Once upon a time all 28 members of my family were at my brother’s house for the holidays, and it was Laura’s evening to cook, and all of us were sniffling and sneezing (because hello dozens of people staying in one house in the winter…) and she made us THEE BEST TOMATO SOUP OF MY LIFE and grilled cheese sandwiches with the richest softest bread and the butteriest crispiest edges omggg. We were all moaning into our bowls.
I wish you could have been there. It was one of those “great food moments,” you know what I’m talking about? Like a great food memory, because of the way it felt with all the family and the snow outside and the Christmas tree in the corner and all of us together eating cheesy fatty food. I mean, you’ve been there right? It’s the best. NOTHING tastes as good as that.
But also, this soup happens to be exceptional, even without the family memories. It’s not your average tomato soup. Let me explain.
Tomato bisque is 10x better than canned tomato soup!
But first, PLEASE tell me you have already made the jump away from canned tomato soup.
There’s Tomato Soup, which is a HUGE step up from Campbells…and then there’s Tomato Bisque. Tomato Bisque is basically Tomato soup on steroids. While there is room in this world for both, I have a special love for the ultra creamy, rich and velvety smooth bisque. Here are some of the things that make this bisque a step up from your average tomato soup:
- a mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrot) base that adds much more depth of flavor than tomato can give by itself
- similar to my favorite (and famous) Potato Soup, there’s a white sauce involved! You add cream and milk to a roux that turns the soup into something richer and creamier than you can get by veggies alone
- lots and lots of Parmesan cheese, because duh
- blended veggies to make everything super smoooooth
And then you dip a grilled cheese in it?? Stop itttt.
What the heck is bisque?
Why do I call this tomato soup a Tomato Bisque?
Traditionally, a bisque was a soup made from all the leftover seafood parts that they would boil into a stock, and then make a thick soup out of it.
These days, a bisque describes a soup that is thicker and creamier than usual. Hello, white sauce! This soup definitely fits the bill. (Plus, I already have a Tomato Soup recipe that I dearly love! I needed a different name for this creamier, heftier version! Can there ever be too many recipes??)
Tomato bisque soup recipe ingredients
This list may look long, but all the ingredients are simple items you can find at any grocery store. And if you like to keep your pantry well-stocked like I do, then you just might have all or most of these ingredients in your cupboards already. This list is just a quick overview, so don’t forget to look at the recipe card to make the soup!
- olive oil
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- kosher salt
- chicken broth
- fire roasted diced tomatoes
- bay leaf
- oregano
- dried basil
- butter
- flour
- black pepper
- cream
- milk
- Parmesan cheese
- fresh basil, optional to garnish
How to make tomato bisque soup
First we start out with the Holy Trinity! This means onions, carrots, celery, the start of so many amazing soups. You just can’t go wrong.
Saute it up in a big ol soup pot and add in some spices and garlic.
Add in the chicken broth, I always use water + Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base, that stuff is gold. Add in your canned tomatoes and a bay leaf and let it simmer a while!
Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf before pureeing! One time my sister in law accidentally blended a bay leaf into her soup and she swore them off forever 🤣 You cannot forget those bitter tough bits!!
If you don’t have an immersion blender you will have to transfer the soup to your blender. It’s no big deal, but I’m telling you, immersion blenders are the way of the future 😉
You could just stop right here. This is an amazing soup, as is. It’s what most tomato soups consist of. BUT NOT TODAY SISTER.
It’s white sauce time! This part couldn’t be easier. You need another pot. Melt some butter then whisk in some flour.
Once the flour has absorbed all the butter, you can start SLOWLY adding in the milk and heavy cream.
Whisk in between every addition, or you will end up with lumps in your roux. no thank you!
Look at this dreamy creamy loveliness! Now add in some Parmesan cheese, of course, and let it melt.
Then add the whole pot of roux into your pureed tomato soup. YUM.
And that’s it! Stir it up and your bisque is ready to eat with grilled cheese or saltine crackers or whatever it was your mom fed you as a child that makes your eyes go the puppiest.
What to serve with creamy tomato soup
Soup, a simple green salad, and breadsticks = match made in heaven, in my books. Of course, you can never go wrong with an epic grilled cheese sandwich alongside tomato soup either (hello perfect comfort food)! Here are some more well-loved recipes that would be amazing with this soup!!
- Green Salad with Feta and Beets (The Fanciest No-Chop Salad Ever) >> this is a total go-to for me because it’s so good, but especially because it only takes about 5 MINUTES to make!
- Raspberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing >> this is such an easy, refreshing salad that just about everyone loves!
- Strawberry Spinach Salad >> one of my favorite side salads, and it goes well with just about anything
- Fresh Coleslaw (with Lemon and Herbs!) >> perfectly light and bright with so much fresh herb flavor
- The Very Best Fruit Salad >> is there anyone who doesn’t eat fruit salad?! This one is the best!
- The Best Garlic Butter Bread >> I am in LOVE with garlic bread. It’s garlicky, buttery, carb heaven
- Quick and Easy French Bread Recipe >> done in an hour and makes the best crusty slices to dip with!
- Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread >> if you love the edges of deep dish pizza, this bread is for you
- Multigrain Harvest Bread from Simply Home Cooked
How to store leftovers
Wait for the soup to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. It will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I usually eat it for nearly every meal until it’s gone! You can warm all the leftovers in a pot on the stove over medium heat, or for individual servings you can add some to a bowl and put it in the microwave at 50% power for 3-4 minutes. Cover it!! Be sure to stir occasionally.
I don’t recommend freezing tomato bisque. Fat and water freeze at different temperatures, so soups that have lots of dairy (like all the cream and white sauce in this recipe) tend to separate or get grainy once they thaw.
That being said, if you don’t mind a slight consistency change, freezing is an option. Add the cooled soup to a ziplock freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Then add the soup to a large pot and warm on the stove. If the soup has separated at all, you can use an immersion blender to try to re-emulsify it (or in a normal blender prior to adding the soup to the pot).
Tomato bisque frequently asked questions
Tomato bisque is the creamier, richer version of simple tomato soup. A normal tomato soup typically consists mostly of blended tomatoes and seasonings, with perhaps a splash of cream. A bisque adds much more cream, and in this recipe, uses the cream to make a white sauce that is then added to the blended soup. The result is a much thicker, smoother texture, and with a more complex flavor profile.
You can definitely find cans of condensed tomato bisque at most grocery stores. But, I can also pretty much guarantee that this homemade version will be so much better that it’s worth the effort to make your own!
More soups that’ll knock your socks off
I looove soup, especially once the weather turns cooler. There’s nothing quite like a delicious soup to stick to your ribs and keep you warm! I have a whole trove of amazing options on my Soup Recipes page, but here are a few of my favorites I’d love for you to try.
- Creamy Tomato Soup >> this is the faster, easier, simpler little sister recipe to tomato bisque. I cannot tell you how clutch this recipe is for crazy school nights! (it’s one-pot)
- Creamy Potato Soup >> the best potato soup to ever enter my mouth, and done in 30 minutes
- Sausage and Kale Soup (Zuppa Toscana) >> an amazing copycat recipe that is better than the original at Olive Garden, IMO
- Ham and Bean Soup of My Dreams >> super hearty and massive flavor, I make it any time I have a leftover ham bone
- Easy French Onion Soup >> there is a reason this soup has endured as a favorite for ages. It is magical!
- Corn Chowder from Natasha’s Kitchen
- Creamy Chicken Stew from The Cookie Rookie
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Laura’s Tomato Bisque
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to sprinkle on the veggies
- 4 cups high quality chicken broth*
- 2 (14.5 ounce cans) fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, for the white sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, for the white sauce
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- fresh basil, to garnish
Instructions
- Prep the veggies. Chop a medium onion. Peel and chop 2 medium carrots until you have about 1 cup. Chop your celery right from the end of the whole head rather than peeling off a stalk. That way you get some of the celery leaves, which add great flavor (see photos).
- Saute the veggies. In a large soup pot (6 quarts), heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, and celery and saute until carrots are almost soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic.
- Add all the spices and the garlic: 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced.
- Add 4 cups chicken broth.* Add 2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes. Add 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Once the soup starts to bubble, lower the heat to medium low to keep the soup at a simmer. Continue simmering until the veggies are very soft, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf! Don't forget!
- Blend. Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.** (See note if you only have a regular blender)
- Make the roux: Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Continue whisking for about 1 minute after all the butter has been absorbed by the flour.
- SLOWLY whisk in 1 cup cream and 1 cup milk. The heat should still be set to medium. Don't go quickly; start by adding about 1/4 cup milk. Use the whisk to stir the milk into the flour completely. Then add a bit more milk. Stir until absorbed. Repeat until you have added all the milk and cream, and the mixture is smooth.
- Once you have a smooth sauce, add 1 cup parmesan. Whisk until smooth. Give it a minute to melt, then turn off the heat.
- Pour the white sauce into the blended tomato soup. Whisk until smooth. Continue heating on low until ready to serve.
- Garnish with fresh basil, Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper.
