Creamy tomato basil bisque is a smooth, rich soup loaded with fresh tomatoes and just the right amount of basil and parmesan. It’s a taste of summer that is perfect for a rainy afternoon. In this post I cover different kinds of tomatoes to use, whether you should take the time to seed or peel them, and how I save the leftovers so that I can enjoy the taste of fresh summer tomatoes all year long. Read on for my tips and tricks, or scroll down to the recipe and start cooking!
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 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 weekend lunch.
How to Make Tomato Basil Bisque
In the world of tomato soups, there seems to be many opinions about how to do it right. So I tried quite a few of them. I’ve roasted the tomatoes, I’ve blanched and peeled the tomatoes, and I’ve tossed them in whole, skins and seeds in all.
In the quest for rich tomato goodness I’ve used the slow cooker, the stove top, and even the oven. I’ve figured out what works, what’s worth the effort, and what at the end of the day doesn’t matter so much.
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. Only you can decide if it’s worth the extra effort.
Cooking Method
In my research I’ve learned that how you cook it (slow cooker, stovetop, oven) matters less than how long you cook it. As the tomatoes cook down, they take on a richer, almost meaty flavor and develop a deeper color.
However, you don’t necessarily need to cook it forever to achieve delicious results. Choose a method that works for you.
My go to method is the stovetop. Allow time for it to simmer 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.
Best Tomatoes for Tomato Bisque
To get the absolute creamiest soup use meaty tomatoes that have been peeled and seeded. Roma tomatoes work well, but so do meaty heirloom.
This summer I was given a surplus of cherry tomatoes – thank you Monica! I put them in this soup 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 cherry tomatoes.
The results, while not exactly creamy, were still better than anything you can get from a can.
Peeling the Tomatoes
A bisque should be completely smooth and creamy. This requires removing the tomato skins, which is much easier if you blanch your tomatoes first. Blanching simply means that you heat them up, then rapidly cool them off.
Start by scoring the tomatoes. Using a paring knife, pierce the skin at the bottom of the tomato to create an X. This will give the skins a breaking point, allowing them to fall off after the tomatoes are blanched.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil and set up an 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.
As you remove the tomatoes from the ice bath, gently peel back the skins. 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 seems to be 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.)
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 in an otherwise smooth soup.
A powerful blender may be able to break them up, but I find the results are better when you remove them.
After your 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.
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Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque Recipe
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 freezer it, or use proper canning techniques for shelf stable storage.
If you like this recipe, please give it a FIVE STAR rating and share it on your favorite social channel!
Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 large onion (1 cup chopped)
- 4 large cloves garlic (about 2 TBSP chopped)
- 1 TBSP salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 3.5 lbs roma tomatoes (8 cups chopped)
- 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh basil – chopped
- 1 cup cream
- 3 TBSP cornstarch
- 1 ounce of 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.
- Heat the pan on the stove over a medium flame. Once it's hot, add the olive oil and heat an additional minute.
- Stir in the onions. Cook 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.
- 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 until smooth, preferably using a stick blender.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with the cold whipping cream, stirring to dissolve completely. Julienne the basil.
- 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 or a drizzle of cream and a sprig of fresh basil.
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
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.
You mention oregano in the recipe instructions, but don’t list it in the ingredient list. How much oregano is needed?
Kristina, Thanks so much for catching that! I included oregano in an earlier version. It’s really not needed in this soup, so I omitted it in the latest update. I’ll get that instruction fixed right now.
this looks great Renee! i’ve only just discovered my love for tomato soups! I love the flavour combo of tomato and basil too!
Tomatoes are one of my favourite vegetables, and oddly I’ve never made tomato soup before. Your recipe sounds fantastic – can’t wait to try it!
Homemade tomato soup is the best! You must try it!!
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!
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.
I’m just starting to see gorgeous tomatoes at my store, and the basil always looks good, so I’m all set to make this, thanks!
Not only do I want a bowl of this soup, I am heading over to see how to make your kale sandwich, too, and will pin that one!
They are so good!! I had them for breakfast yesterday and again for lunch too. So good!
I just planted my roma tomatoes and all of my herbs in the garden for this year. I cannot wait to make this with the first harvest!
Very nice! I love growing romas in my backyard, they are such a versatile tomato. I’ll be getting my planted as soon as this rain lets up.
Tomato soup is my favorite. This recipes is full of fresh flavors, yet seems so simple!
i love creamy soups, especially tomato based, this one looks great 🙂
Me too!! It tastes better than it looks!
My favorite kind of homemade soup is potato soup! I’ve never made tomato soup before – I’ll have to give the Vitamix a whir!
I love potato soup too! The vitamix should do a great job of ripping up those tomato skins – I’ve registered for one for the wedding!