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This creamy Southern Tomato Bisque is an easy soup recipe bursting with flavor from sweet tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs. Pair a bowl of homemade soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for a simple, satisfying, and cozy dinner!
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If you love tomato soup recipes, be sure to try this creamy tomato soup with ground beef and noodles, a pot of roasted tomato soup, and this 30-minute tomato basil soup, too!
Homemade Creamy Tomato Bisque
You can’t beat the sweet, creamy, smooth taste of a classic Southern tomato bisque soup. Whether you use fresh or dried herbs, this is an easy recipe that’s perfect to enjoy all year round. We like to call this one of those “back-pocket recipes” – the ones you always rotate into your weekly or monthly menu because they’re a family favorite.
With such an easy recipe, it’s no wonder we come back to it again and again. A homemade tomato bisque is the perfect comfort food – and sure to become one of your new favorite soup recipes!
What’s the difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque?
Tomato bisque is a type of tomato soup. While some tomato soups are made with a thin, tomato-based broth, tomato bisque is smooth, creamy, and highly seasoned. In either case, tomatoes are the primary ingredient! While this recipe also uses chicken or vegetable stock for flavor, the use of heavy cream is also what sets tomato bisque apart from regular tomato soup.
What makes a bisque a bisque?
A traditional bisque is a French-style soup made from crustaceans (such as lobster, crab, shrimp, and crayfish – think of lobster bisque or crab bisque). The shells of these crustaceans are used to make the stock, while the meat is incorporated into the finished soup. While you can certainly use seafood stock in this recipe, I keep it simple with a chicken broth or vegetable broth instead. The main characteristic of any bisque is its smooth, velvety texture, achieved in this case with heavy cream and a quick puree.
Ingredients for Tomato Bisque with Basil
You only need a handful of pantry staples and about 5 minutes of prep for this easy homemade tomato basil soup. As always, you can find the complete ingredients and directions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Butter: to sauté the vegetables for the base of the soup.
- Onion & Garlic: classic aromatics for flavor.
- Basil, Oregano, Bay Leaf, Salt & Pepper: dried herbs work best for flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: helps to thicken the soup.
- Chicken or Vegetable Broth: the liquid base of the soup.
- Canned Petite Diced Tomatoes: easy and convenient with no additional prep required.
- Brown Sugar: balances out the acidity of the tomatoes but doesn’t add sweetness to the dish.
- Half-and-Half or Heavy Cream: for that creamy, rich flavor.
Can you make tomato bisque with fresh tomatoes?
Using canned tomatoes makes this simple recipe even easier. You certainly can use fresh tomatoes, but you must roast them first. Depending on the size, you’ll need about 2-3 pounds of fresh tomatoes – that’s about 4-6 large tomatoes, 6-8 medium tomatoes, or 8-12 Roma tomatoes. Cube the tomatoes up on a baking sheet and roast them for 20-25 minutes at 450 degrees, stirring about halfway through. For more flavor, you can roast the fresh tomatoes with onions, garlic, and red bell peppers (which add some sweetness to the soup). Once the tomatoes are roasted, you can add them (and their juices) to the soup as directed.
How to Make Southern Homemade Tomato Bisque
This easy tomato bisque recipe is one of my family’s favorite creamy soups. Topped with a little fresh basil and croutons, it’s a homemade, almost gourmet take on a classic soup that any fan of tomato soup will love!
- Sauté the onions and garlic in butter, then add the seasonings.
- Add flour, broth, tomatoes, brown sugar, and bay leaf to the pot.
- Simmer the bisque for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Stir in the half-and-half.
- Blend the tomato bisque until smooth, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve!
Aromatic Base of Tomato Bisque Soup
The first step in making a delicious tomato bisque is the aromatic vegetables. Onion and garlic are classics for flavoring any dish, especially simmered, slow-cooked soups, bisques, and stews. Dice the onion – you can use white or yellow onion – and sauté in butter until soft and translucent. (You can swap out the butter for olive oil if you choose.)
Add the garlic once the onions are already soft (so as not to burn the garlic), then season the mixture with basil and oregano. Dried herbs are preferred in soups and bisques because the liquid helps to reconstitute the herbs, infusing the broth with so much flavor. But if you only have fresh herbs on hand, use what you have! (Italian seasoning would also be a great substitute if you don’t have the individual herbs.)
Adding Rich Tomato Flavor
Once the sauteed vegetables are ready, add all-purpose flour, which will help to thicken the soup. Then pour in the broth (use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian), tomatoes and their juices, brown sugar, and a bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer the covered soup for 15-20 minutes. Make sure that you stir the pot regularly to avoid scorching or sticking on the bottom.
Making Tomato Bisque Creamy & Velvety Smooth
Finally, remove the pot from the heat before adding the cream. Discard the bay leaf and slowly stir in the half-and-half. Use an immersion blender to (carefully) puree the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, a regular blender will work just fine – just use caution when pouring the hot soup into the blender.
Once the tomato bisque is smooth and creamy, ladle it into bowls and serve! For a restaurant-quality appearance, garnish each dish with a light drizzle of half-and-half, grated Parmesan cheese, or some fresh chopped basil.
What to Serve with Tomato Bisque
You can garnish your cup of creamy tomato bisque soup with a variety of popular garnishes – homemade croutons, cornbread croutons, or even grilled cheese croutons, fresh basil, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, or a dollop of sour cream. A large bowl of tomato bisque is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but any of these options are the perfect pairing with a comforting bowl of homemade, creamy soup:
- Grilled cheese sandwiches! The ultimate companion for tomato soup!
- Ham, Brie, and Apple Panini Sandwiches
- A simple green salad dressed in Buttermilk Dressing
- A loaf of crusty French baguette
- Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
- 3-Ingredient Homemade Breadsticks
Southern Tomato Bisque Soup Recipe Tips & Variations
- For a richer, creamier bisque, use heavy whipping cream instead of half-and-half.
- To make this tomato bisque vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. To make it vegan, use full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream and olive oil instead of butter to sauté the vegetables.
- If using a standard blender, you can puree the soup in batches if necessary. Be very careful when pureeing hot soup in a large blender because the hot liquid and steam will build up pressure when you put on the lid (and you don’t want it to explode in your face)! Use a tea towel to hold and cover the blender top for protection.
- Tomatoes are acidic. The brown sugar in this recipe helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, but if the soup is still too acidic for your tastes, add carrots. Simmer the soup with a halved carrot to reduce the acidity. If you know you’re sensitive to the acidity of tomatoes, dice and sauté carrots along with the onions and garlic. Once blended into the soup, they make no difference to the flavor and drastically cut the acidity of the dish.
- Is tomato bisque healthy? This recipe yields about 6 cups of soup. Each cup of soup has about 150 calories, so it’s really fairly light for a bisque or cream-based soup. Tomato bisque soup is a healthy food choice based on the natural benefits of tomatoes.
- Is the soup Keto or low-carb? No, this soup contains about 17 grams of carbohydrates per cup, so it’s not a low-carb option.
- Is tomato bisque gluten-free? No, this recipe is not gluten-free since all-purpose flour is used to thicken the soup. To make it gluten-free, use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the soup.
How can you add richness to tomato bisque soup?
If you feel the broth lacks a savory flavor, there are a few things you can add to boost the flavor. Make sure you’re tasting and seasoning throughout the cooking process as well – a pinch of salt and black pepper goes a long way in enhancing flavors! Tomato paste is another great way to enhance the savory tomato flavors, as well as fresh garlic (as opposed to pre-minced, jarred garlic). If you have any on hand, use homemade chicken broth, which is typically much more flavorful than store-bought.
Homemade Tomato Bisque Storage
- How long does tomato bisque last? Packaged in an airtight container, the soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Can you freeze tomato bisque? No, I do not recommend freezing this soup. The cream in the bisque tends to “break” when thawed, resulting in an undesirable texture.
More Homemade Soup Recipes to Try
Southern Tomato Bisque
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, NOT drained
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender but not browned (about 5-7 minutes). Add garlic, basil, and oregano; sauté for 1 more minute. Add flour; cook and stir until moistened.2 tablespoons butter, 1 medium onion, diced, 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Stir in broth, tomatoes, brown sugar, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer (covered) for 15-20 minutes. Stir the pot regularly to make sure that the bottom of the pan doesn’t scorch and nothing sticks.1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth, 1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, NOT drained, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 bay leaf
- Remove soup from heat. Discard bay leaf. Slowly stir in the half-and-half.1 cup half-and-half
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use a handheld immersion blender (or a regular blender) to puree the soup until smooth. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!Salt and pepper, to taste
Notes
- For a richer, creamier bisque, use heavy whipping cream instead of half-and-half.
- To make this tomato bisque vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. To make it vegan, use full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream and olive oil instead of butter to sauté the vegetables.
- If using a standard blender, you can puree the soup in batches if necessary. Be very careful when pureeing hot soup in a large blender because the hot liquid and steam will build up pressure when you put on the lid (and you don’t want it to explode in your face)! Use a tea towel to hold and cover the blender top for protection.
- Tomatoes are acidic. The brown sugar in this recipe helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, but if the soup is still too acidic for your tastes, add carrots. Simmer the soup with a halved carrot to reduce the acidity. If you know you’re sensitive to the acidity of tomatoes, dice and sauté carrots along with the onions and garlic. Once blended into the soup, they make no difference to the flavor and drastically cut the acidity of the dish.
- Is tomato bisque healthy? This recipe yields about 6 cups of soup. Each cup of soup has about 150 calories, so it’s really fairly light for a bisque or cream-based soup. Tomato bisque soup is a healthy food choice based on the natural benefits of tomatoes.
- Is the soup Keto or low-carb? No, this soup contains about 17 grams of carbohydrates per cup, so it’s not a low-carb option.
- Is tomato bisque gluten-free? No, this recipe is not gluten-free since all-purpose flour is used to thicken the soup. To make it gluten-free, use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the soup.
- Cut the acidity of the soup with carrots — either a whole or half carrot simmered in the soup or diced sauteed carrots.
