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In This Post

Why You Need My Tomato Bisque Recipe
What Is Tomato Bisque?
Ingredients & Substitutions
How To Make Tomato Bisque
My Recipe Tips
Storage & Meal Prep
Serving Ideas
More Creamy Soup Recipes
Tomato Bisque (Easy Recipe) Recipe card
Recipe Reviews

Creamy, flavorful, and oh-so-cozy, my tomato bisque is the perfect comfort food I turn to again and again. I order it whenever I see it on a restaurant menu, but it’s actually so easy to make yourself. Much like its close cousin roasted tomato soup, this one shares the classic tomato flavor, but a cream base sets it apart and gives it a velvety smooth texture you’re going to love. Make this tomato bisque soup recipe with me when you’re craving something warm and comforting!

Why You Need My Tomato Bisque Recipe

Super flavorful – It’s a given that the tomatoes shine here, but you also get a good dose of aromatics, fresh herbs, and of course, cream.
Creamy, velvety texture – My tomato bisque soup is a lot like other bisques (such as my lobster bisque), and similar to other blended creamy veggie soups (hello, butternut squash soup). In other words, it’s thick, creamy, and silky smooth.
Simple ingredients – Most of these are simple pantry staples, and they’re naturally gluten-free. Plus, there’s very little prep — this soup only takes me around half an hour!
Perfect for cozy nights or chilly days – Tomato bisque will warm you right up! I also love serving it as a light, healthy dinner with a salad, or a meal prep lunch with a sandwich.

Thick, creamy tomato bisque in a Dutch oven with a drizzle of cream, fresh cracked pepper, and basil leaf.

What Is Tomato Bisque?

Tomato bisque is a fancy name for creamy tomato soup. Unlike your run-of-the-mill types that use only broth or stock, this bisque has cream added for a texture that’s… well, richer and creamier! And I love it even more.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my homemade tomato bisque, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Canned Tomatoes – I prefer this soup with these crushed tomatoes. Feel free to use canned whole peeled tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, or diced tomatoes. You can even substitute 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes instead and just dice them before cooking, but canned ones are more convenient and I find they actually produce a deeper flavor.
Aromatics – Onions, garlic, and celery are classic in tomato bisque recipes. You could substitute shallots or leeks, or swap in 2 teaspoons of jarred garlic instead of fresh.
Olive Oil – To saute the veggies. Avocado oil is also fine, or even butter, since we’re not using high heat.
Chicken Broth – Like I do for most recipes, I used reduced sodium chicken broth to control the salt in this recipe. Regular is also fine, but you’d need less added salt. You can also make your own homemade chicken broth, use vegetable broth, or even swap in bone broth for more nutrition.
Fresh Herbs – I used a combination of fresh basil and fresh thyme. You can choose other herbs, like rosemary, oregano, or parsley. Dried herbs work as well (use 1 teaspoon dried to replace each tablespoon fresh), or use 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning instead. I also garnish my tomato bisque with extra basil, which is optional.
Heavy Cream – This gives the soup its rich, creamy flavor and texture. You can substitute half and half to lighten it up, but I don’t recommend regular milk, as it’s too thin. For a dairy-free alternative, canned full-fat coconut milk will give you a similarly creamy result.
Sea Salt & Black Pepper – If you like some heat, throw in some crushed red pepper flakes, too.

Labeled bowls of crushed tomatoes, onions, celery, garlic, broth, cream, olive oil, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper.

How To Make Tomato Bisque

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

Saute the onions and celery. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven (I used this one and love it) or large pot over medium heat, until shimmering. Add the diced onions and celery. Saute until the onions are translucent and starting to brown.
Saute the garlic. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant.

Sauteed onion and celery in a Dutch oven with a wooden spoon.

Simmer the tomato bisque. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, basil, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.

Crushed tomatoes, broth, and fresh herbs added to the soup and simmered.

Make it creamy. Return the soup to the pot, and stir in heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Serve. I love how beautiful the tomato bisque looks with a garnish with fresh basil and an extra drizzle of cream!

Soup returned to the pot and cream stirred in.

Finished tomato bisque recipe garnished with cream and basil.

My Recipe Tips

The more powerful your blender, the smoother your soup will be. I have this one and it’s amazing for smooth soups. If yours is not very powerful, you’ll need to blend for longer.
If the soup doesn’t all fit in your blender, work in batches. Ladle as much of the soup into the blender as you can fit below the max line, blend, and transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the rest of it, then transfer it all back to the pot.
Don’t have a large blender or want easier cleanup? You can also use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot. I used to think an immersion blender can’t get soups as smooth as a regular one, but turns out it was just the one I had! I recently got this one and it leaves my tomato bisque just as smooth as my regular blender.
Give it enough time to simmer. It only takes about 15 minutes in my cast iron Dutch oven, but can take a bit longer if you use a pot with a different material. Some of the liquid evaporates as it cooks, and this is important to make it thick later.
Do you need to cover the soup? No, you don’t. I recommend leaving it uncovered when simmering — again, this helps you get a thick consistency later.
Adjust the flavor to your taste. If the soup seems to acidic, you can add a tablespoon of sweetener of your choice, more salt, or an extra splash of cream. If it’s too salty, more cream can help with that as well.

Storage & Meal Prep

Store: Transfer to an airtight container, cool completely, and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.
Meal prep: It’s one of the reasons I love this tomato bisque — it stores so well! Whip up a batch, portion it into containers, and refrigerate or freeze for convenient meals throughout the week.
Reheat: Heat on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. You can also reheat in the microwave (been there, done that).
Freeze: You can freeze this soup in any container or simply zip lock bags. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Serving Ideas

My tomato bisque recipe makes the perfect starter to dinner, or combined with a healthy salad or sandwich for lunch. Try these pairings:

Sandwiches – My fave is a classic grilled cheese sandwich on 90 second bread.
Salad – Pair this of tomato basil bisque with my chicken Caesar salad or steak salad for a classic soup-and-salad meal.
Toppings – I usually just do a drizzle of cream and basil, but you can customize your bowl with other toppings, like shredded cheese (cheddar or Parmesan cheese), fresh herbs (basil or parsley), your favorite croutons, or a dollop of sour cream.
French Mains – Tomato bisque is a French soup, so it’s perfect as a starter before serving my chicken Florentine (which is actually French, not Italian!) for dinner or with my spinach quiche for brunch.
Italian Mains – Even though this soup is not Italian, I think it pairs very well with Italian-inspired flavors. Try it with my stuffed zucchini boats or eggplant rollatini.