Stovetop Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque
Creamy tomato basil bisque is loaded with fresh tomatoes and just the right balance of basil, parmesan, and balsamic vinegar. Made on the stovetop in just over an hour, this tomato basil soup is smooth and creamy, with all the flavor of a rich tomato bisque. A taste of summer that is perfect for a rainy afternoon.
Tomato Bisque Recipe
When it comes to making homemade soup, creamy tomato basil bisque is by far one of my favorites. It’s a perfect way to use end-of-summer tomatoes and can be canned or frozen for longer storage.
In this soup, the fresh tomato flavor is balanced with basil, parmesan, balsamic, and cream. The sweet acidity of the tomatoes, the tang of the vinegar, and the nutty parmesan cheese combine as a match made for my taste buds’ dreams.
Serve it cold on a hot summer day, or serve it hot on a cold, wet day. I like mine best when paired with a grilled cheese sandwich for a delicious weekday lunch.
What You’ll Need
Any time an ingredient list goes into the double digits, it can start to look intimidating, but don’t let that stop you! For this soup we are going to need cooking oil –– avocado oil is my go-to cooking oil –– sweet onion, garlic, kosher salt, ground pepper, aroma tomatoes, vegetable stock, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, fresh basil, heavy cream, cornstarch, and parmesan cheese. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Featured Ingredient: Plum Tomatoes
The best tomatoes to get the absolute creamiest soup are peeled and seeded plum tomatoes. Plum tomatoes are dense and meaty, with an oblong shape. They are also known as paste tomatoes, sauce tomatoes, or processing tomatoes, with the most common varieties being Roma and San Marzanos.
I use fresh Roma tomatoes in my Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and canned Roma tomatoes in the simple marina I serve with these garlic knots.
One summer, my neighbor Monica gifted me a surplus of grape tomatoes, which are basically small plum tomatoes. I used them in this soup recipe without peeling or seeding because small tomatoes are a pain to peel and seed, and you lose a lot of volume by discarding the seeds from grape tomatoes. The results, while not exactly the creamiest, were absolutely delicious.
Tomato Basil Bisque Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”ebdcDXKE” upload-date=”2020-03-13T00:00:00+00:00″ name=”Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque” description=”Creamy tomato basil bisque is loaded with rich tomato flavor and just the right amount of basil and parmesan. A taste of summer that is perfect for a rainy afternoon.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]How to Make Tomato Basil Bisque
Making this tomato basil bisque is fairly simple and straightforward. Let me walk you through it.
- Prep the ingredients – Peel, seed, and chop the tomatoes. Chop onion and garlic. Julienne the basil. Grab the rest of your ingredients and ensure you have the appropriate tools and utensils.
- Heat a 6 quart or larger pot on the stove over a medium flame, add the oil, then add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the onions are fragrant and starting to turn a translucent golden color, add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
- Add the salt, pepper, tomatoes, vegetable stock, vinegar, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, drop heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, remove the bay leaves and puree the soup with a stick blender until smooth.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with the cold whipping cream, stirring to dissolve completely.
- Add the cornstarch slurry, grated parmesan, and basil into the soup, stirring to combine. Cover and allow to cook on low for an additional 15 minutes to thicken the soup.
- Serve garnished with additional parmesan, a drizzle of cream, and a sprig of fresh basil, as desired.
Cooking Method – Stove Top
In the quest for rich tomato goodness, I’ve used the slow cooker, the stovetop, and even an Instant Pot. After all that testing, my go-to method for this recipe is the stovetop. What I really like the most about using this method is the amount of control you have over the results while minimizing the amounts of pots and pans used.
With the slow cooker, I had to cook the garlic and onions in a separate pan. The Instant Pot kept giving me burn notices and made it impossible to see the results as they were happening. Both devices made it feel like more work without much more benefit.
On the stovetop, you can watch as the tomatoes cook down, taking on a richer, almost meaty flavor and developing a deeper color. It’s also easier to adjust the seasoning as you go. Allow time for it to simmer for at least an hour to let the flavors develop, but if you can make it early and let it simmer longer, the flavors will be that much richer.
Making the Creamiest Tomato Basil Soup
In the world of tomato soups, there are many opinions about how to do it right. So, I tried quite a few of them. I’ve roasted the tomatoes, blanched and peeled them, and tossed them in whole, skins and seeds in all.
The thing I found to be true is that while many of them are right, none of them are exactly wrong. It all comes down to personal preference. This recipe, however, is for creamy tomato basil bisque, so I’m going to focus on what gives the creamiest results, which means it’s totally worth it to peel and seed the tomatoes.
Peeling the Tomatoes
The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to score, blanche, ice bath, then peel. If all of that sounds like culinary jargon, allow me to explain.
The first step is to score the tomatoes, which is a fancy way of saying that you are going to use a paring knife to pierce the skin at the bottom of the tomato, creating an X. This will give the skins a breaking point, allowing them to fall off after the tomatoes are blanched.
Blanching simply means that you boil for a short period of time. We are going to follow the blanching with an ice bath, which will stop the cooking process immediately. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and set up a bowl of ice water next to it. Working with 3 – 4 tomatoes at a time, place the tomatoes into the boiling water for about 45 – 60 seconds. Then, immediately place them in the ice water for a minute or two to cool completely.
As you remove the tomatoes from the ice bath, the skins should fall off in your hands. If they stick, gently peel them off. They should come away quickly and easily, leaving you with whole peeled tomatoes.
Removing the Tomato Seeds
Whether or not to remove the seeds is a question that is asked a lot. While most people agree to remove them, their reasoning isn’t quite right. Many resources claim the seeds are bitter and make the soup taste bad, but I cannot agree with this statement.
I find the seeds to be tannic and loaded with flavor, flavor that you shouldn’t discard unless necessary. (I leave the seeds in for my homemade spaghetti sauce and marinara.)
That said, I do agree with removing the seeds for this soup because our goal is CREAMY tomato basil bisque. When left in, the seeds add a bit of crunch to an otherwise smooth soup. While a powerful blender may be able to break them up, I find the results are better when you remove them.
After you peel the tomatoes, simply slice them in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. It’s quite easy to do, and it’s worth the extra step.
When to Serve and How to Store
This rich, creamy tomato basil bisque is full of tangy tomato flavor with a smooth texture. It’s a great way to use up a surplus of Roma tomatoes and can be canned or frozen to come back to all fall and winter long. It makes a great first course for a dinner party, but it also makes a delicious lunch.
Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 – 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it, or use proper canning techniques for shelf-stable storage.
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Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque – Stovetop Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (olive oil also works)
- 1/2 large onion (about 1 cup chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (about 2 tablespoons chopped)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes (about 8 cups chopped)
- 4 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh basil (chopped)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ounce parmesan (about 3/4 cups freshly grated)
Instructions
- Score, blanch, and peel the tomatoes. Cut in half, scoop out and discard the seeds. Chop the peeled and seeded tomatoes. Roughly chop onion and garlic. Julienne the basil.
- Heat the pan on the stove over a medium flame. Once it's hot, add the oil and heat for an additional minute before stirring in the onions.
- Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are fragrant and starting to turn a translucent golden color, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
- Add the salt, pepper, tomatoes, vegetable stock, vinegar, and bay leaves. Stir to combine then bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, drop heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, remove the bay leaves, then puree the soup until smooth, preferably using a stick blender.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with the cold whipping cream, stirring to dissolve completely.
- Add the cornstarch slurry, grated parmesan, and basil into the soup. Stir to combine. Cover and allow to cook on low an additional 15 minutes.
- Serve garnished with additional parmesan, a drizzle of cream, or a sprig of fresh basil as desired.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
More Delicious Tomato Recipes
- Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Tomato Burrata Salad
- Veggie Couscous Salad
More Soup Recipes:
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup with Dumplings
- Parsnip Potato Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Butternut Squash Apple Soup
My family loved this with our homegrown romas that I did blanche and seed. It was worth it! Served with grilled cheese. The perfect comfort food. Thank you!
I have made this several times and was just now looking at the nutrition information. I saw sodium listed at 1969mg. Is that correct for just one cup?? Please let me know because I I have a family member who is on a low sodium diet and want to confirm before I make it for them.
Hi Cherie!
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I did a little digging and realized my nutritional info was pulling incorrectly on both the vegetable broth and the salt, causing the numbers to drastically inflate. So no, they were not correct. I’ve rerun the numbers and specified low-sodium vegetable broth, which cut the sodium count by more than half. As you are making this for someone on a low sodium diet, they are probably accustomed to less salt in general. I would make this without any of the added salt, letting the sodium from the broth and cheese do the heavy lifting, then adding more at the end if needed. I know I’ve been consuming less salt myself these days and made notes over the summer to come update this recipe with 2 teaspoons of salt instead of 1 tablespoon, as it seemed a bit too much.
My family loved this!
This soup is amazing. I made it at the end of the season with my fresh tomatoes. Tonight we had a batch that we froze.
I’m so jealous. Yum!
This creamy tomato basil bisque is delicious and easy to prepare! It was a great way to use up a lot of my fresh garden tomatoes and basil. I will definitely make this again.
Thank you Pam!!
This recipe is AMAZING!!!! I didn’t have bay leaves, so I used thyme instead. I’ll definitely make it often.
So good-especially with a grilled cheese!!!
I love the balsamic vinegar in this soup!
Me too! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment!
When I tasted it before adding the heavy whipping cream, I thought – this is spicy – delicious, but not all people would like it. But, after adding the cream it was perfect for all palates. Thank you for the recipe, and the extra advice on how to rid it of tomatoe seeds and how to poach the skin off, and your preference on leaving the seeds in. My dad had stomach ulcers and went on a special diet. He too had to remove the skin and seeds before eating the tomatoes on sandwiches he took to work with him. That was my job to prepare the tomatoes so they still tasted fresh, not mushy. This is a good way to continue eating them even if you have a leaky gut.
Thank you Connie for coming back to leave a comment and review. It’s so appreciated! I’m so glad that you found the info helpful and the recipe delicious.
This was my first time making tomato basil bisque from scratch. Your recipe was incredible! My family RAVED about it. Your information, tips and tricks were spot on! I used 1 TBSP garlic infused olive oil and 1 stick of butter to cook the onions and garlic in. The only other substitution I did was use cooking sherry in place of the the balsamic vinegar. I used a quart bag of frozen tomatoes from our garden and utilized my immersion stick. Easy, intuitive and elevated dish. A do again, and again, and again! Cheers!
So glad you enjoyed it Heather!
Hello! This is my family’s absolute favorite soup and there always tends to be some leftover as I double the recipe – is there anyway to freeze this and if so, how would I go about reheating and how long would it last?
Thanks so much!
Hi Kaylee! You can absolutely freeze this soup. I’ve kept it in my freezer for 3 – 6 months without a lot of flavor loss.
Put it into an airtight, freezer-safe container and pop it in the freezer. I’ve used glass mason jars (leave 1″ of clearance at the top and freeze fully before placing the lid on) and I’ve used plastic leftover containers, like the ones you can often find in delis and restaurants. You can defrost it overnight in the fridge, or if you are impatient like me, defrost it in the microwave on about 40% power.
Enjoy!!
Can you can this recipe in quarts?
I’m not sure what you are asking. Do you want the conversions to know how many quarts it makes? Do you want to increase the recipe to make multiple quarts? Let me know more about the info you need and I’ll see what I can do!
This soup is absolutely delicious! I added a tiny bit more salt and parmesan cheese, but other than that I followed the recipe to a T! Husband and 14 year old daughter devoured it with grilled cheese sandwiches. This recipe is a keeper!
This soup was amazing. I’m making it again even though it’s 75 degrees outside!
Love it!
I helped my friend take care of her 92-year-old mother. She is a picky eater. I came across this recipe and I thought okay Flex Tomatoes let me give it a try. Well I just finished making it again for the 10th time she loves the soup.
I’m so glad she likes it! I am (not so patiently) waiting for the roma tomatoes in my garden to ripen so I can make a huge batch for my freezer.
Subbed unsweetened oat milk for the cream. This was EXCELLENT…. Best tomato soup I have ever made. Thanks!!!
What a great substitution! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Great recipe except there isn’t oregano listed in your ingredients and it makes mention of it in your number 9 instructions.
Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention Bobbie! The recipe was updated back in 2018 and I removed the oregano. It’s not a bad addition, I just realized it was unnecessary. Since I wasn’t using it in real life, I changed the recipe to reflect that, except for that one step. I’ve updated the recipe card to remove the reference.
Renee
Is it me, or is there something a little off about the tomato ratios? I can’t make 3 pounds equal 8 cups. Please clarify.
Hi Michael,
Looks like there was a typo in the recipe card, as it should have said 3.5 lbs instead of 3 lbs. I have updated the card to reflect the correct weight. Thank you for taking the time to kindly point out the error.
Renee
This was fabulous! We substituted some extra creamy homemade cashew milk for cream because we are vegan but otherwise followed just as written above.
I am so glad you loved it and that your vegan substitute worked!
– Renee
As a child growing up, I HATED tomatoe soup, didn’t matter how it was fixed…UNTIL one day I came across Renee by accident and thime video for this recipe came up.So it looked so delicious,, I said let me give it a try(because as you get older your taste bud changes).. I made it and it’s a recipe for LIFE… Thank you sooo much, I can’t get enough of it😋.
I made this today and it is absolutely delicious. Great dinner for this rainy day! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it Rhonda.
I bought some Black tomatoe seeds back from South Africa they are wonderful slightly thicker skins but much sweeter I saved last years seeds from them an
Got 75!!! Plants gave loads away everyone loved them and the soup was delicious
Wow! I wish my tomato plants were that productive! I bet they would be delicious in this soup.
It’s definitely the season for creamy tomato soup – with grilled cheese for me, please! It’s been a while since Ive made it too
Yes!! I love tomato soup and grilled soup!
You and me both!
Hi
It says it serves 6. Are these big serves or smaller?
Sophie,
My apologies! I am fairly certain that the 6 servings is based on a estimated 1 1/2 cup portion, or a standard bowl. The photos on this recipe are on the schedule to be updated, so I’ll make sure to measure and adjust the recipe to reflect the serving size too. Thanks for pointing out that it was missing.
Renee
Thanks for your help 🙂
If I’m using the diced canned tomatoes, how much do I need?
Hi Deiann! I haven’t made this recipe with canned but I would suggest using the same measurement as fresh, which would be 8 cups of tomatoes or 64 ounces.