Southern Tomato Bisque

Close overhead shot of a bowl of Tomato Bisque topped with fresh basil and croutons

This creamy homemade Southern tomato bisque soup is rich, creamy, and velvety smooth. It's perfect paired with a crispy grilled cheese sandwich for an upgraded take on a classic combo!

Course Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword cream of tomato soup, tomato basil soup, tomato bisque

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 149.1kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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.

Nutrition