Tomato Bisque

Content… What Is It? Bisque vs. Soup Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage FAQs What to Serve More Comforting Soup Recipes Closing Thoughts Watch How to Make It

What is Tomato Bisque?

You may think of bisque as something made with a seafood stock like lobster, shrimp, crab, and crayfish. Though that is entirely correct, as its French origin would suggest, bisque in modern terminology also refers to any blended soup that is smooth, creamy, and velvety in texture. Most recipes would include cream to achieve that signature texture to accompany any of the following: squash, mushrooms, and, of course, tomatoes!

Tomato Bisque vs. Tomato Soup

I’m probably one of those few who believe there’s a fine line between a tomato bisque and tomato soup. Tomato soup is more liquidy, while bisque has a distinct thick, velvety texture (compared to soups). Another difference is that tomato soups are generally served hot, while tomato bisque can be served either hot or cold.

Recipe Ingredients

The ingredients for this bisque are pretty simple. In fact, I’ve served this dish numerous times on busy weeknights, and it’s always a hit. Here are just a few of the ingredients for today’s smooth and comforting tomato bisque:

1. Butter and Olive Oil – A combination of these two is always a good start for any creamy-based soup. It has both the butter and olive flavor while lowering the saturated fat content from using all butter compared to part butter and part olive oil. But yes, you can sub olive oil for butter and vice versa.
2. All-Purpose Flour – This helps in making our dish thick enough. If you don’t like all-purpose flour, you can still make a roux with any starch like cornstarch (cornflour in the UK), cassava flour, or arrowroot. Just avoid using something like cornmeal because of the coarser texture and stronger flavor.
3. Canned Crushed Tomatoes – You can quickly grab a can of crushed or whole tomatoes and make this fabulous dish, especially for a busy weeknight. Fresh or roasted tomatoes also work great for this recipe with excellent results.
4. Chicken Broth – For optimal flavor, don’t skip the chicken broth. Vegetable broth works fine, too, especially if you’re vegan. You could replace it with water, but the flavor won’t have as intense.
5. Italian Seasoning – For additional flavor, use this homemade Italian seasoning or simply mix ¼ teaspoon each of dried thyme, rosemary, basil, and oregano, and you’re good to go.

How to Make Tomato Bisque

Prepare the Base

• Saute the Seasonings – In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and pour olive oil. Add minced garlic, fresh thyme, onions, and celery. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes until vegetables are soft and beginning to get brown.
• Make the Roux – Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and frequently stir over low heat for about a minute until the mixture is smooth and the flour is fully incorporated. This helps to thicken the soup later.

Make the Soup

• Add the Liquids – Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and brown sugar. Season the soup with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to taste.
• Simmer – Cover partially and cook the soup over moderate heat, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Make sure to scoop the bottom of the pan every 5 minutes to avoid burning.
• Puree – Allow the soup to cool off slightly, then transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend on high until smooth and silky. Return the puree to the saucepan.
• Finishing Touches – Add the heavy cream and cook until the soup is just heated through. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with basil or parsley and serve with croutons. Bisque is best served warm or hot.

Recipe Variations

1. Fire-roasted red peppers make a flavorsome bisque. Just replace the tomatoes with the same amount of roasted red peppers, and you’re good to go.
2. Try butternut squash for a fantastic vegetarian twist. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and the tomatoes with 1½ pounds of peeled and chopped butternut. Half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar will add the acidity the tomatoes usually give it.
3. To make this recipe vegan, you can substitute the heavy cream with coconut or cashew cream and the chicken broth with vegetable broth. 

Tips and Tricks

1. You can use canned whole tomatoes or fresh tomatoes for this recipe; both create amazing results. 
2. Simmer vegetables until they are very soft to ease blending and give you a smooth and creamy soup. You can also use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
3. If your tomato bisque turns out too thick, you can add more milk or water until you have the desired consistency.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This tomato bisque recipe is an excellent make-ahead dish. Let the finished bisque cool down to room temperature and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan and serve as usual.

Serving and Storage

The advantage of bisque over soup is that it doesn’t have to be steaming hot. Serve this deliciousness in a bowl and top it with grated parmesan and homemade croutons for the win.

Bisque can be stored in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days or kept in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container and frozen for six months. If you are purposely making tomato bisque for freezing, leave out the cream and add it when reheating it.

It’s easy to reheat in a saucepan on low heat. If you’ve frozen it before adding the cream, heat it to barely a simmer, then add the cream.

FAQs

What to Serve with Tomato Bisque

Honestly, you can enjoy it as a meal starter or a full meal paired with a grilled cheese sandwich or homemade garlic bread. Dunk ’em all the way! 

Although tomato bisque is hearty enough to be a complete meal, it certainly pairs well with any main dish. Take meatloaf or beer can chicken, for example, and add a tossed salad or seasonal fruit for a soul-satisfying dinner.

More Comforting  Soup Recipes

• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Beef Barley Soup
• Vegetable Soup
• Trinidad Style Corn Soup
• Minestrone Soup

Closing Thoughts

This velvety cream tomato bisque is the perfect summer, fall, or winter soup substitute. Are you hungry for more delicious recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me along on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube for all the updates. Happy eating!

Watch How To Make It

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This was blog post was last published in August 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.