This is an easy tomato bisque recipe I have made over and over again and my whole family loves it. A simple homemade tomato soup that even the kids ask for.
My friend made this soup years ago when I was not a tomato lover and cringed at the idea of having tomato soup. I tried it and absolutely fell in love with this easy tomato bisque recipe she made!! I have done a few tweaks to it since making it for my family a few times (yes even the kids are in love with it), and here is the recipe. It’s really quite an homemade tomato bisque soup I think. (originally published 1/16, pictures updated, affiliate links present)
- If you’re looking for a warm comfort food during the cooler months, or year round really, you won’t be disappointed with this soup.
I rarely cook anything from scratch and many times I don’t because store bought is so similar I cannot justify the time and effort that goes into cooking it.
However, there are a few things like this soup and my easy creamy tomato soup in the crockpot that there just is no comparison for!
What you need for this easy tomato bisque recipe
- Butter
- Bacon
- olive oil to cook it beforehand
- Onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Chicken broth
- Flour
- Can whole tomatoes
- Heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Spices
- jarred works if that is what you have
- fresh basil and other herbs are best if you can find them
If you do not want to add bacon that is of course okay but it gives the soup a lot of added flavor and makes it so you really don’t have to add any or much salt at all since the bacon has enough salt in it.
The more veggies you add the thicker / chunkier your tomato soup will be, so that is up to you.
Creamy tomato bisque is not only great for dinner but saves well and tastes great the next day warmed up.
- Heat the garlic in butter inside a large pot over medium heat.
- Stir in the diced onion, bacon, carrot, and celery. Cook and stir until soft and bacon is done but not crispy.
- Stir in the flour and cook to create a rue of sorts.
- Pour in the broth and can of tomatoes and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.
- stirring occasionally may make it overheat
- I have yet to use diced fresh tomatoes so I am not sure how that would alter the overall texture of the soup
Tie parsley, thyme sprigs and bay leaf together and add to pot if you have them. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes on a low boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Remove your herb bundle.
- Then you’re going to want to puree the soup so you can use a immersion blender, or just pour it into your regular blender and puree until smooth.
- It will be thick but you want it to be pretty smooth.
- You can make this ahead of time and transfer it to a slow cooker on warm and it will be good for hours!
- OR use our Crockpot tomato soup recipe from the get go and pair with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Great addition to any brunch or during the holidays when people want something warm and want to eat a bit of this and that all day long.
What is the difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque? We really enjoy both but they are definitely not the same.
Cream of tomato is cooked at a much lower temperature. Bisque is French and is commonly used to describe a highly seasoned and creamy soup made from strained broth of seafood items.
- If you would like another similar version of this but cooked in just 15 minutes you should give our Instant Pot tomato basil soup a whirl.
- We added some tortellini into this one which made it a heartier meal, but fabulous as well.
What goes well with tomato bisque soup? That is of course subjective but I always pair it with some sort of bread. A few of our favorite selections are:
Try them all and see which one you like best really! Below is a printable recipe card with nutritional information such as calories and saturated fat listed. Just enjoy though my friends.
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Easy Tomato Bisque Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbs butter
- 2 pieces bacon
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5 tbs flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 can whole tomatoes 28 ounce, peeled tomatoes with liquid
- 3 parsley sprigs or 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 3 thyme sprigs or can use 1 tsp. dry thyme out of jar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the diced onion and bacon. Add in your diced carrot, celery and garlic and cook until soft and bacon is done but not crispy. (I do not drain grease, lends a lot of flavor to the soup) Can remove a few pieces of bacon to add to the top if desired.
- Stir in the flour and cook to create a rue of sorts.
- Pour in the broth and can of tomatoes and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.
- Tie parsley, thyme sprigs and bay leaf together and add to pot if you have them. Lower heat and simmer for 30 min. on a low boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- When soup is cool remove and discard herb bundle. Transfer the mixture to a blender or use a hand mixer to blend until pureed and smooth.
- You can use a sieve to strain but I never did and liked the texture. Whisk in the heavy cream and salt to taste. If you have some chopped up bacon still use it to garnish the top!
Veronica
Saturday 7th of March 2020
I made this today and couldn’t wait for it to cool so I just warmed up the cream so it wouldn’t curdle. It turned out great! It’s a keeper recipe. Thank you.
The Typical Mom
Saturday 7th of March 2020
Glad you loved it too
Sondra
Monday 25th of November 2019
Sorry I’m almost done and want to know if I add the cream before or after boiling?