Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque
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This isn’t your ordinary soup; this tomato basil bisque is a leveled-up version of tomato soup! It features a deliciously velvety, creamy consistency that makes it easy to sneak in vegetables. Made with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and single cream, this yummy recipe will easily become a weekly favourite during the colder months. This bisque is also a great make-ahead meal (and it’s easy to freeze later!).
Why you’ll love this recipe
This tomato basil bisque is so flavourful you’ll want to eat it all week! Even though this tomato basil soup has simple seasoning like fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, it still packs a punch in the flavour department.
One of the best parts about this creamy tomato basil soup is that it only requires about five minutes of prep time. The majority of the cook time for this recipe will be spent roasting the vegetables and herbs in the oven, so it’s fairly hands-off. Quick and easy, you’ll have this tomato basil bisque recipe done in no time!
For more tomato soup inspiration, recreate these recipes at home: Loaded Vegetable Minestrone Soup and One-Pot Creamy Tomato Tortellini Pasta Soup.
Best Fresh Tomatoes For This Recipe
I love using fresh tomatoes on the vine for tomato basil bisque. They add such a lovely, fresh flavour to the soup. To cut down on costs, I use tomatoes on the vine and combine them with canned plum tomatoes for this recipe. You can use any combination of fresh and canned tomatoes according to your budget. Roma tomatoes are also great in a tomato basil soup recipe.
How to prepare
In a few steps, you can easily prep the tomatoes for this creamy tomato basil soup recipe. Simply remove the vines and slice the tomatoes in half.
How to cook
Add the halves to a baking tray with fresh herbs, onion, garlic, olive oil, and seasoning to cook the fresh tomatoes. Then, bake for about 30 minutes.
What is the difference between soup and bisque?
The consistency is the primary difference between soup and bisque (like this tomato basil bisque). Tomato soup is thinner, while bisque is thick and creamy.
Prep – The prep for tomato soup and bisque are quite similar, as they have many of the same ingredients. The only difference between prep for each recipe is that you’ll need to measure milk or cream for the bisque.
Cooking – Tomato soup is typically cooked on the stove. In some recipes, the soup is left chunky, while others call for the soup to be blended. Bisque can be made on the stove, or the ingredients can be roasted and blended.
Using an Immersion (Hand) Blender
The best way to get tomato basil bisque to have a velvety, rich consistency is by using an immersion blender. Simply immerse the blender in the ingredients in the pot and blend until you reach a thick consistency. Immersion blender tomato soup is ready when there are no lumps, and the texture is consistent.
Ensure you do not start the blender before putting it into the hot bisque ingredients, or it may splash hot liquid on you. You can also use a regular blender or food processor to create a creamy consistency, but it’s easy for the liquid to splash up with those methods.
Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, you can serve the bisque hot or cold. Since it’s great at either temperature, this bisque is an easy meal for lunchtime (especially if you don’t have access to a microwave).
Ingredients
Tomatoes
While you can use canned tomatoes, you’ll get a much better flavour by adding fresh tomatoes on the vine with them. You can also use other fresh tomatoes on hand, though the flavour will change slightly depending on the variety.
Fresh Thyme
Fresh herbs help add a delicious fresh flavour to tomato basil bisque. Using thyme provides a slightly minty taste that complements the taste of the tomatoes. You can also use dried thyme in a pinch.
Ciabatta Rolls
I love adding toasted ciabatta rolls to this recipe, making it easier to soak up the delicious cream of tomato basil soup. However, you can use any rolls or bread you enjoy with this recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
This tomato basil bisque is quite a versatile recipe! You can use whichever tomato variety you find the best. Any type of meaty tomato, like heirloom, plum, and Roma tomatoes, will work in this recipe. You can also adjust the flavour by using other fresh/dried herbs and spices. Try an Italian spice mix for a yummy taste. Don’t be afraid to play with spices when making this recipe!
Use chicken broth or seafood stock instead of vegetable stock to create a different taste in this creamy tomato soup. For more decadence, use heavy cream instead of single cream. You can even add gorgonzola cheese or parmesan cheese for a bolder taste.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
Here are a few yummy pairing ideas for this tomato basil bisque!
Sandwiches
Of course, you can always make a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato bisque. It’s a classic tomato–cheese combo you can’t go wrong with. A BLT is another great option. Or, try a caprese panini.
Bread
Ciabatta is my bread of choice for this recipe. However, you can use nearly any type of crusty bread. Try this dish with Italian bread, a baguette, rustic bread, etc. Dinner and crescent rolls are also great options.
Wine
If you’re craving a glass of wine alongside this tomato bisque, red pairs well with the acidity of the tomatoes. Reach for a fruity chianti or a merlot with stone fruit notes.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Bisque
Preheat oven to 180°C FAN/ 200°C conventional
1. To a deep roasting tray, add the sliced tomatoes, onion wedges, garlic (facing down) and the thyme springs. Coat in extra virgin olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper (Image 1).
2. Pop in the oven and set a timer to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven after this time (Image 2).
3. After 30 minutes, add the plum tomatoes into the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper again. Pop back in the oven again for 20 more minutes (Image 3).
4. When your timer is up, remove the tray from the oven. Remove the thyme sprigs and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin (Image 4).
5. Add the baked tomatoes, onion and garlic to a saucepan/bowl with the chicken stock and blend until smooth with a hand blender/immersion blender (Image 5).
6. Pour in the cream and stir to combine and season to taste (Image 6).
Serve immediately with a swirl of cream, toasted ciabatta and top with fresh basil.
Enjoy these other tasty soup recipes : Courgette Soup, Celeriac Soup and Easy Carrot and Coriander Soup
Tips for the best result
Don’t skip the roasting step
Roasting the tomatoes, herbs, and aromatics helps soften the ingredients and makes blending them easier. This step also provides a good amount of flavour to the dish. While you can make this tomato basil bisque in a pot, you’ll miss out on the slightly smoky taste from roasting the elements.
Ensure you add oil to the veggies and herbs
There’s nothing worse than trying to pry the tomatoes off the baking sheet because they’re cooked on. Skip the hassle by adding a generous amount of olive oil to the ingredients before putting them in the oven.
Avoid overcrowding the pan
Overcrowding the pan leads to steamed veggies, not roasted veggies. Ensure each ingredient has plenty of space to cook on the sheet. If you have smaller sheets in your kitchen, use a few to ensure the elements are properly spaced out.
If you have extra tomatoes, consider making these tomato-forward recipes during the week: Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Tomato and Mascarpone Sauce with Gnocchi, or Spicy Tomato Rice Topped with Halloumi and Coriander.
Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions
This tomato basil bisque is a great make-ahead recipe. Once it’s cooked and ready to go, you can keep it in the fridge for up to three days. Portion it into single servings to make it easier to reheat later.
You can also freeze this tasty bisque. Leave the single cream out, as dairy does not mix well with the freezer. Then, follow the steps according to the recipe. It should stay good in the freezer for up to four months.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Keep the leftover tomato basil bisque in an airtight container in the fridge once it has cooled fully. Reheat cold bisque in the microwave at 30-second intervals until it’s warm throughout. Or, heat it in a pan on the stove. You can also enjoy tomato bisque from fresh tomatoes cold.
If you’ve frozen the bisque, you’ll want to reheat it on the stove. Add the single cream as it’s reheating, ensuring you stir well to combine the ingredients.
FAQS
You can garnish tomato basil bisque with fresh herbs, a swirl of cream, or a sprinkle of freshly grated cheese.
Typically, tomato and basil soup is made with tomatoes, olive oil, stock, garlic, onions, cream, and herbs/seasoning. However, each recipe will vary depending on taste preferences.
Usually, a bisque is made with shellfish as the main ingredient. However, vegetable-based bisques (like this homemade tomato basil soup) use veggies as the star ingredient instead of seafood.
Add a flour roux to the soup if your tomato bisque won’t thicken. Mix 1 tbsp of flour with 2 tbsp of the soup and whisk until clump-free. Then, whisk the mixture into the soup and continue stirring over heat until the soup has thickened.
Like a tomato soup garnish, you can add a sprig of fresh herbs (like thyme or basil), a swirl of cream, or a sprinkle of cheese.
I like to think homemade tomato bisque has a better flavour than Campbell’s. It’s also much easier to adjust the seasoning to your preference when making a homemade version. Plus, you can create a bisque that’s as decadent and creamy as you like.
The richness of a bisque comes from the cream in the recipe. It helps create a velvety, decadent texture.
If you want a more filling meal, pair this yummy tomato bisque with one of the following recipes: Easy Mushroom Ragu, Easy Meatless Baked Ziti, or Easy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta.
If you tried this Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque
Ingredients
- 12 on-the-vine tomatoes, sliced in half (£1.25x2)=(£2.50)
- 800 gram (2 tins) plum tomatoes (£0.37x2)=(£0.74)
- 2 onions, sliced into wedges (£0.30)
- 15 g fresh thyme springs, or small handful (£0.60)
- 1 head of garlic, slice in half through width, (skin left on) (£0.39)
- 100 ml single cream, plus more to serve (£1.20/2)=(£0.60)
- Handful of fresh basil, torn to serve (£0.60)
- 2 ciabatta rolls, sliced and toasted to serve (£0.80)
Cupboard essentials
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 600 ml chicken/ vegetable stock.
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C FAN/ 200°C conventional
- To a deep roasting tray, add the sliced tomatoes, onion wedges, garlic (facing down) and the thyme springs. Coat in extra virgin olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Pop in the oven and set a timer to 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the plum tomatoes into the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper again. Pop in the oven again for 20 more minutes.
- When your timer is up, remove the tray from the oven. Remove the thyme sprigs and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin before adding into a saucepan with the chicken stock. Blend until smooth with a hand blender/immersion blender then pour the cream into the pan.
- Stir to combine and season to taste. Serve immediately with a swirl of cream, toasted ciabatta and top with fresh basil.
Notes
- Roasting the tomatoes, herbs, and aromatics helps soften the ingredients and makes blending them easier.
- Ensure you add oil to the veggies and herbs.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan. Ensure each ingredient has plenty of space to cook on the sheet. If you have smaller sheets in your kitchen, use a few to ensure the elements are properly spaced out.
Nutrition
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