One of the great joys in life is a bowl of delicious Tomato Bisque packed with a rich tomato flavor. Now, I’m not talking about the canned variety of tomato soup that we all grew up on. I’m talking about a silky-smooth, creamy tomato soup that will have you moaning with every spoonful.
And the good news is you can have this on your family’s dinner table in an hour.
I do have to warn you, that once your friends and family taste this bisque there’s no turning back to the canned variety of tomato soup. But the good news is, my Tomato Bisque is easy to make and freezes well so make up a big batch and freeze some for later! This is definitely one of my favorite soups.
Make a few grilled cheese sandwiches to go along with the bisque and you’ll have the perfect comfort food.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our Tomato Bisque. In chef speak we call that the Mise en Place, or everything in its place.
This is a good practice to get into whenever you cook. Not only does it speed up the process but it ensures you have everything you need to make the dish.
It’s a short list of ingredients. Canned tomatoes ( I use San Marzano), vegetable broth or chicken broth, cheddar cheese, cream, chopped onions, chopped celery, flour, butter, salt, black pepper and sugar (optional).
You can also add a little grated romano or parmesan cheese to the soup.
Soups are really easy to make with almost no rules or essential ingredients. In the old days, soups were made out of scraps and foods we wanted to make of use of before they went bad. I think this is where the true kitchen artisans showed their skills making nothing into something delicious.
The problem we run into these days is making something out of what’s on hand is having everyone love it so much that they want you to make it again. That my friends is why we have recipes.
How do I make tomato bisque?
The first step in creating my Tomato Bisque is how I start most cream soups.
- Add the butter to a large pot.
- As the butter melts, add the chopped onions and celery.
- After sauteing the onions and celery for about 5 minutes, add the flour to make a roux. *You can use olive oil to make the roux, but the soup won’t be as rich.
A roux (pronounced ROO) is an important part of many soups and sauces. In this soup, the roux is used as a thickener and a way to make the soup smooth and velvety. A roux helps with consistency and texture and can turn a lackluster dish into a culinary masterpiece.
Adding hot stock to the roux creates a Veloute. This alone could be called a poor man’s cream soup. The addition of cream or milk adds body to the soup, making a hybrid type of bechamel sauce, which is how I like to make my cream soups.
There is actually very little cream or milk in most of my creamed soups. The cream changes the texture, color, and mouthfeel. But using too much can detract from the overall flavor and mouthfeel, so don’t overdo the heavy whipping cream!
After the stock has been fully incorporated into the roux, you can add the other ingredients to the veloute.
Chef Dennis Tip:
Use a rubber spatula to make sure you get in all the corners of the pot to release any roux that may be stuck in the pan.
Once the veloute is ready, add in the tomatoes and seasonings. Mix well and simmer for about 30 minutes.
You can use fresh tomatoes to make this delicious creamy tomato soup, but I would suggest just using San Marzano tomatoes and skip the extra work.
Use an immersion blender or a traditional blender to puree the soup until smooth. It’s an easy way to make smooth, creamy soups.
You can also use a traditional blender or food processor to puree the soup.
The next step is straining the bits and pieces of celery, onions and tomato out of the soup so it’s smooth and creamy. There really wasn’t much left after the immersion blender did its thing.
The last step in creating this ah-mazingly delicious Tomato Bisque is adding the cream and the cheese.
What you end up with is an incredibly flavorful Tomato Bisque. Its rich flavor and velvety smooth texture will make a tomato soup lover out of anyone and will soon become a family favorite. You’ll never reach for that red and white can again!
I like to garnish my tomato bisque with shredded cheddar and chopped fresh basil.
Recipe FAQ’s
No, you don’t. If you don’t mind a few chunks in the soup it’s perfectly acceptable not to strain the bisque.
No, you don’t. I like the way it mellows out the tomato flavor and the added cheese flavor is always a good thing.
Tomato soup is usually made with either vegetable or chicken stock. Tomato bisque is made by adding cream or whole milk. The dairy is what makes it thicker and creamier, which gives it the defining traits of a bisque.
Croutons, fresh herbs, dried basil, toasted nuts, sour cream, poached egg, or additional shredded cheese can be used to enhance the flavor of the bisque.
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Tomato Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 cup celery small dice
- 1 cup onions small dice
- ¼ lb unsalted butter 8 tablespoons (1 stick)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you prefer)
- 56 oz whole plum tomatoes including juice (canned) San Marzano if possible (2 cans)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon sea salt add more to taste.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese *add more if you like a cheesier soup
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a 4-quart saucepan. Add celery and onions.
- Allow the onions and celery to cook for a few minutes until they turn semi-translucent.
- Add the flour to the pan to make a roux.
- Let the roux mixture cook for 5-7 minutes over low heat (the flour should begin to smell a little like bread).Don't let the roux get dark or burn.
- Heat the stock in another saucepan.
- Add the stock to the roux, using a wire whip, and mix well.
- Add the tomatoes and seasonings and allow to simmer for 15- 20 minutes.
- If you have an immersion blender after the bisque has simmered, use your immersion blender to puree as much of the product as possible. You can also transfer it to a food processor or blender, just be very careful with the hot bisque.
- After you have either used an immersion blender or food processor, strain your bisque to remove all the bits and pieces of celery, onions, and tomatoes.
- Return the bisque to the pot and add the heavy cream and fold in the shredded cheddar.
- At this time if the bisque appears to thick you can either add more vegetable stock, milk, or just plain water.
- Taste the soup and re-season if necessary, then allow the soup to simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
G says
I added garlic & onion powder, dried thyme, parsley, oregano & used a mix of cheeses…cheddar, aged white cheddar & fresh Parmesan. I used half & half cream instead of heavy. It’s still nice & creamy & tasty!
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Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my bisque and that you made changes to suit your taste preferences!
Heather says
Hi – what adjustments (if any) are required if I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned? Thanks in advance!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’ll need to cook the fresh tomatoes down to a tomato puree before using them to make the soup. Other than that you can follow the recipe as is.
Chris says
I have a question. The recipe calls for 48 ounces of whole canned tomatoes. Do you mean a 28 ounce can ? 48 sounds a bit excessive.
Thank you !
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes 48 ounces is correct,
Tammy Fitzgerald says
Heather I can and I cut up all my tomatoes and put them in my food processor and garlic , peppers onions I don’t even peel the tomatoes add, organic cane sugar salt basil oregano Italian seasoning to taste and bay leaves add organic tomato paste to thicken it up
Kathleen says
I’m planning on making a double batch to freeze some. Should I freeze it before I add the heavy cream and cheese?
Chef Dennis Littley says
You can definitely freeze it before adding the cream and cheese. I usually freeze it after its completed, but either way works.
Stephen says
Really incredible. Fair warning; I forgot to get celery, so the end result is different. However, this is easily the best tomato bisque that I’ve made, and it was quite easy to make; the hardest part was making sure the roux didn’t burn, since I had to babysit the pot and stir it frequently.
P.S. Better than Bullion works great here if you, potential cook who’s reading the comment section, don’t have 4 pre-made cups of chicken/vegetable stock.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I ‘m happy to hear you enjoyed the bisque andnNot using celery is not a deal breaker. And I use Better than Bullion when I can’t get Minors bases. They’re both so much better that those boxed broths!
Nanci says
I just got done making this and it is the best soup ever….I keep going back for more…guess I am going to have to make another batch for work….thank you for the best recipe EVER
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my tomato bisque, it’s a family favorite!
Valerie says
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is EXCELLENT!!! I have made it a couple of times already and it does not disappoint! My husband and I love it and I have raved to my friends and family about how good it is. Would you mind telling me what type of cheddar cheese you add? I stuck with a cheddar that had a medium sharpness to it, but I was wondering if you have a “go to” cheddar for this recipe.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed my bisque recipe. As for cheddar I usually buy Cabot’s extra sharp or Tillamook extra sharp for cooking. For eating I love Kerrygolds Skellig cheddar.
Denise says
Absolutely delicious! I added a parmesan reggiano rind instead of cheddar cheese, which I’m sure is great too. Hands down, the best tomato bisque soup I’ve ever made. Reminds me of my favorite soup at Mimi’s restaurant.
Thank you sooooo much for sharing this recipe!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re very welcome and thank you for letting me know you enjoyed my bisque!
B-Rex says
Definitely a wonderful soup, thanks Chef! There are so many variations you are able to do if you know your way around a kitchen that can suit your / your guests’ individual needs or what ingredients you may be missing or unable to procure. Been looking for a nice ‘base’ recipe to expand on and this is definitely it. Thank you again!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Your very welcome. I’m happy to hear you see how it easy it is to adapt this delicious soup.
Roland Greer says
Ez definitely delish
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my bisque!
Liz says
The best soup I’ve ever had. Can I freeze it?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes, the soup freezes very nicely.
Alana says
Can I make ahead of time and then keep in a crockpot on warm to serve?
Chef Dennis Littley says
sure. You may have to thin it out a little depending on how long you leave it the crockpot.
Smith Jeanne says
Excellent and easy to make!! I add some minced garlic when sautéing the veggies
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my tomato bisque!
Patricia says
Thank you for sharing this recipe and the cooking lesson! It was delicious!
Margaret says
This soup is to die for. I made a double batch and am giving a quart of it to my friends and neighbors for Xmas (instead of candies and cookies.)
I wish them a “Souper” Holiday!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed my tomato soup and that is being shared as holiday gifts!
Jennifer Gambini says
I made this today in a crockpot and it was delicious, this will be a new staple in my house!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my tomato bisque!
Kayla says
This recipe is amazing. The only thing I changed was I used smoked Gouda instead of cheddar. It gave it a wonderful smoky flavour.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for the great review and comment. I bet the smoked gouda added a delicious flavor to the Bisque!
SBraswell says
Thank you! This recipe is a pleasure to prepare and to serve. Your tip about preparing a roux to create a velouté feel was perfect in this soup. Adding a roux to other soups has worked similar miracles there.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my bisque. Using a roux is an easy way to thicken soups, stews and sauces.
Elizabeth says
I haven’t made this yet, but I’m planning to. I don’t have an immersion blender. Is it ok to use crushed or puréed tomatoes?
Chef Dennis Littley says
absolutely, you can use your favorite crushed or pureed tomato to make the bisque. I only use San Marzano tomatoes and they (authentic) only come whole in juice, but you can defintely use any brand you enjoy cooking with.
Deb says
I halved the recipe to try it and it was good. I used a 28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes. The next time I make it, I will garnish with torn basil. I ate it with cheddar biscuits that I made previously. This is a keeper for me.