Tomato Bisque

4.68 from 50 votes

Tomato Bisque - rich, creamy, and blended to silky perfection with roasted garlic and cream. Cozy comfort soup that’s easy enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for company. Serve it with grilled cheese or crusty bread for the ultimate dunkable dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: tomato bisque

Servings:

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 medium carrot sliced
1 stalk celery sliced
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour all-purpose
4 cups chicken broth low sodium
28 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper freshly ground
1 tablespoon parsley chopped for garnish, or fresh basil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened and translucent. Add the roasted garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes, then add the chicken broth, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, then bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Use an immersion blender and blend the soup until it's completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a regular blender.
Stir ¾ cup of the cream into the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with a drizzle of the remaining heavy cream, the fresh basil, and a crack of pepper.

Notes

Roast the garlic. Trust me, this is the step that makes your soup taste like it came out of a restaurant kitchen. Regular garlic works, but roasted garlic makes people ask for seconds.
No immersion blender? Totally fine. Just let the soup cool a bit before tossing it in a regular blender. Unless you like redecorating your kitchen in tomato splatters.
Season at the end. Soup reduces as it simmers, so hold off on the salt until the very end. Otherwise you might end up with something saltier than movie theater popcorn.
Broth swaps. Chicken broth gives a nice rich flavor, but veggie broth works just as well if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
Leftovers. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or stash it in the freezer for 6 months. When you reheat, add a splash of cream or broth if it looks a little thick.
Lighten it up. Want to skip the heavy cream? Use half-and-half or even a plant-based cream. Just keep some fat in the mix so you still get that dreamy, silky texture.

Nutrition