Tomato Bisque Soup

So what is tomato bisque and how is it different from a classic Tomato Soup? Tomato bisque is actually a twist on a classic tomato soup made with a thickened cream mixture to create a smooth, hearty pair for your grilled cheese. A “bisque” is a rich, thick, and creamy soup that is pureed into smooth consistency.

I make my tomato bisque a little different. It’s not just heavy cream added to tomato soup. This makes the soup into a truer bisque as opposed to creamy tomato soup. There’ss a little more work to it, but the end result is unlike any other! It’s very rich and filling.

This soup is wonderful once the weather starts getting cooler. You can serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich, croutons (parmesan croutons are the best), any other sandwich, or with a simple sprinkle of shaved parmesan cheese on top. 

Tomatoes – I usually use a can of San Marzano peeled whole tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes will also work as well if you need to.

Garlic – It’s always best to use fresh garlic, smash it to release the oils for the most flavor, and then mince.

Onion – A yellow onion will work well, but a white or Vidalia will make a good substitute.

Flour – all purpose flour works well to thicken the sour and if you need to make it gluten free, use gluten free all purpose flour.

Heavy Whipping Cream – To make your soup beautifully rich and creamy, don’t substitute with lower fat dairy products.

Whole Milk – I don’t recommend swapping whole milk with any other ingredient. (Scroll down to my FAQs to see how you can make it dairy free if needed).

Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter. That way, you can control how much salt is added to the soup.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Sauté the onions and garlic. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven with oil. Sauté the onions until softened and transparent and add minced garlic (1).

Add tomatoes and seasonings. Add the tomatoes and crush them up with the spatula. Sprinkle in the garlic powder, salt, sugar, black pepper and basil (2). Mix well (3) and cover with a lid. Simmer for about 15 minutes and stir occasionally.

Blend. You can use an immersion blender or food processor for this step. Blend everything together until smooth (4).

PRO TIP: if you choose to blend the soup in a blender or food processor, make sure it is heat resistant and especially made for hot foods! (This is the Hot/Cold Blender I have but it is not available at the time, you can look at this alternative blender.)

Make a roux. Melt butter in the same pot (5). Whisk in the flour until combined (6).

Make it creamy. Slowly pour in the milk and heavy whipping cream (7). Slowly stir. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, while stirring, until thickened (8).

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Properly stored, tomato bisque will last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to store it an air-tight container that is plastic or glass.

Reheated it in a microwave, just make sure to cover the bowl with a microwave-safe lid or with another plate turned upside down. This soup tends to splatter so covering the bowl will save you a lot of clean up!

If you need to reheat the whole batch of soup as opposed to just one serving, use a medium pot and reheat it over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until completely heated through.

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!