Easy Creamy Tomato Bisque Recipe

Name: Easy Creamy Tomato Bisque Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 small yellow onion (, chopped small, 3/4 cup); 6 tbsp. butter; 1 tsp dried dill weed; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped; 2 cups chicken broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base); 12 oz. V-8 juice (, or vegetable juice); 1/2 tsp white pepper; 3/4 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus additional for garnish; 2 tablespoons honey; 2/3 cup heavy cream

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This Healthy Creamy Tomato Bisque Recipe is one you’ll want to make over and over again. It has a unique blend of flavorings that takes it over the top.

You’ll think that you are in a fancy restaurant when you dig into this easy homemade creamy bisque.

Why You Should Be Making This

This recipe is adapted from a bisque recipe from an up-scale restaurant in my old hometown. I came upon it through a co-worker of my wife’s.

She either figured it out herself, or was given the recipe by the restaurant owner. Since finding this recipe and making it for the first time, it is the only way I make tomato soup.

The ingredients in this creamy soup are unique and the combination of flavors is fabulous.

This great recipe is perfect comfort food.

The Difference Between Soup and Bisque

Soup recipes are classified as either a broth type or a thick type soup. An example of a thick soup is vegetable beef which contains whole cut-up pieces of vegetables.

It may also be slightly thickened with a cornstarch slurry.

An example of a broth soup could be egg-drop soup. A flavorful broth is created using homemade chicken stock which gets added spices for a rich flavor.

Then whipped eggs are floated in the broth and boiled until they are set.

A traditional bisque is French in origin and was creamy and contained a broth made from shellfish. Lobster or crab bisque is an example of this.

Today, bisque can be defined as a soup that uses heavy cream and is pureed until it is quite smooth with a velvety texture.

Tomato Bisque Ingredients

There are no exotic ingredients in this recipe. You probably have what is needed on hand.

The one ingredient that is kind of special is the San Marzano tomatoes. They are an Italian plum tomato that has a rich flavor, is tender, and is low in acid.

The brand that I see most frequently is Cento. The can will specify that they are San Marzano or Italian origin.

Look for certified on the label which will mean that the tomatoes are Pomodoro certified.

The Cento website has an online store if you are unable to find the tomatoes locally.

Additional ingredients include onion, butter, dill weed, oregano, all purpose flour for thickening, chicken broth, V-8 vegetable juice, honey, and heavy cream.

The bisque tastes slightly sweet because it contains a bit of honey. Combine that sweetness with the distinct flavor of dill and oregano and this becomes no ordinary tomato soup.

There’s a good amount of butter, for richness, and some onion, dill weed, and oregano. A small amount of flour is used for thickening because there’s quite a bit of liquid in the recipe.

A 28-ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes will have 6 or 7 skinless whole tomatoes.

These will need to be broken up slightly. I find it’s easiest to use a pair of kitchen shears to cut them into pieces.

A sharp paring knife and a wooden spoon for holding the tomato work well too.

The San Marzanos give a rich tomato flavor which will make this delicious soup a family favorite.

How to Make Creamy Tomato Bisque

Start out with a large saucepan or dutch oven, at least a 4-quart size on medium heat, and add the butter, chopped onion, dill, and oregano.

Cook until the onion is translucent and soft which will take 4 or 5 minutes.

Add the all purpose flour next and stir it into the onion and butter. Let the flour taste cook off for 2 minutes.

Whisk in the chicken broth and stir to prevent lumping then add the tomatoes, and V-8 juice.

Add the chopped parsley and the salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and bring it to a boil.

Once the flour has thickened the soup, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir the pot occasionally to make sure the liquid is not scorching.

Remove the pot from the heat and now the soup gets pureed. Just use a traditional blender for this.

Carefully add the hot liquid to a blender jar filling it to about half. Take the filler cap off the lid and place the lid on the jar and hold a kitchen towel over the lid opening.

This will allow the pressure from the hot liquid to escape through the towel.

Turn on the blender to puree. Depending on your blender this could take 1 or 2 minutes to fully make the bisque creamy and smooth.

Pour the finished bisque into a separate pan and continue to puree the remaining soup.

If you don’t have a blender, an immersion blender could be used to puree the soup. An immersion blender will probably not get the bisque quite as smooth as a traditional blender.

A food processor would also work to puree the bisque.

When the soup has all been pureed, pour it back into the original saucepan and place it back on the stove on medium heat.

Then stir in the heavy whipping cream and the honey.

At this time you should taste the bisque and add additional kosher salt or pepper if desired. Let the soup heat up and serve it hot.

I recommend that you don’t bring the soup to a boil because it retains heat for a long time. Just bring it to a comfortable temperature so you won’t have to wait to enjoy it.

What To Serve With The Bisque

You can serve this homemade tomato bisque as your main dish with some good crusty bread.

Since it is essentially a fancy tomato soup, it goes perfectly with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Spoon it up, drizzle a little cream on top and garnish with parsley or fresh dill.

For an excellent accompaniment to this, make some Cheesy Italian Dunkers. The two are fabulous together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute for heavy cream?

You could use whole milk if you would like. The bisque will not be quite as creamy this way though.

Can I skip using the honey?

The honey helps to counterbalance the acidity of the tomatoes and tastes great with dill and oregano. If you are allergic to honey, try using liquid agave nectar or light Karo syrup.

What if I don’t have a blender?

An immersion blender is fine to use as is a food processor. You may find that these two may not get your bisque as smooth as a blender would. That’s okay because it will still taste terrific.

Leftovers

If you have any leftover tomato bisque, store it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

You could also freeze leftovers in a tightly sealed airtight container for up to 3 months.

To reheat the tomato bisque soup, place it in a saucepan on your stovetop on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.

You may also reheat it in a microwave oven using the auto-reheat function on the microwave if it has one. Or, reheat at 50% power to prevent the bisque from bubbling and splattering when heated too quickly.

This creamy tomato bisque recipe is always a hit when I make it. Give it a try.

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