Creamy tomato bisque is rich, flavorful, and will satisfy all of your comfort cravings. This will become your new favorite bisque recipe!
I’ve had tons of store bought soups and bisques in my life, and none of them can hold a candle to this incredible recipe. Almost all canned bisques have a metallic aftertaste to them that is so hard to ignore.
Trust me, once you’ve tried dipping a piece of crusty sourdough bread into this creamy concoction, you’ll never want the store bought variety again.
Another soup I can’t ever get enough of is my Pappa Al Pomodoro (tomato bread soup.) When the cooler months roll in, it’s always good to have a few trusty soup and bisque options for dinner!
Creamy Tomato Bisque
Ingredient Notes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon will work just fine! You only need a light coating on the bottom of the saucepan.
- Yellow Onion – Check out my easy technique for how to chop an onion.
- Carrots – If you’re looking for something more autumnal, these can be substituted for butternut squash.
- Garlic
- Dried Basil – While dried basil works best for this recipe, fresh basil can also be substituted. Both options are delicious!
- Whole Peeled Roma Tomatoes – If you can’t find Roma tomatoes, other canned whole tomatoes work just as well.
- Chicken Stock – Use store bought or homemade chicken stock; just be sure to use stock instead of broth! Stock has a richer, fuller flavor that’s perfect for this recipe.
- Heavy Cream– To make a vegan bisque, you can use coconut milk instead
Tomato Bisque Recipe Video
To see how this recipe is to make, watch this quick video!
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the vegetables. Cook the carrots and onions first, stirring both in the garlic oil for about ten minutes. Then, add the garlic and basil.
- Bring to a boil. Pour the chicken stock and canned tomatoes into the pot, stirring to combine with the vegetables. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer.
- Cool down. After 45 minutes of simmering, remove the bisque from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then, pureé the delicious mixture!
- Stir in the heavy cream. You’re almost done! Pour heavy cream into the pureéd mix and stir it in nice and slow. Serve it warm, and enjoy!
Q&A + Recipe Notes
What is the difference between soup and bisque?
Bisques are thicker and creamier than most soups. While some soups have a similar consistency, bisques are guaranteed to always be thick and creamy. That’s why they’re so great for winter time! When I think of this creamy tomato bisque, it’s difficult to think of anything more warm and comforting.
How to make this tomato basil bisque recipe vegan
This recipe is easy to convert for a vegan-friendly dish. Just swap the heavy cream for coconut milk; you may not even notice a difference in the flavor!
Serving Suggestions
I recommend toasting some sourdough bread and dipping it right into your bowl! If you’re feeling extra decadent, you can also use sourdough bread to make a bread bowl. Either way, you’re going to have a fantastic dinner.

Creamy Tomato Bisque
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced (approximately 2 cups)
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced (approximately 4 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil, crushed
- 3 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 quart chicken stock, either homemade or low-sodium (use vegetable stock for a vegetarian soup)
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, then add the garlic and basil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After allowing soup to cool for a few minutes, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth (in batches if necessary).
- Slowly stir in the cream over low heat, until the soup is just heated through. Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Tomato bisque has always been one of my favorites!
Won’t the carrots make the soup sweet?
Hi Stephan! The carrots aren’t much sweeter than the tomatoes, so they keep the bisque at a similar sweetness level. If it makes you more comfortable, you can certainly swap out some of the carrots for tomatoes (equal amounts by volume). The carrots help thicken up the soup.
Soups like this make me unbelievably happy!
While I never liked tomato soup as a kid (probably because it always came from a can), I can now appreciate a great tomato soup when I taste one! I just recently bought ingredients and am so happy I’ve now found this recipe to use them with!!
Sorry, forgot the rating!
One of my favorite meals to make when the weather is chilly!
I LOVE a good tomato soup! This one looks perfect.
This sounds super tasty!
Yummmm! This looks perfect! Such a delicious, cozy meal!
So creamy!! Tomato based soups are my favorite!
Love the carrots in this!
Love the idea of serving it in a bread bowl! This was excellent.
I gave this recipe a try because I loooove tomato bisque soup, but unfortunately was a bit disappointed. The amount of carrot and cream overwhelmed the soup. Thanks for sharing anyway.
Can I freeze this soup for a week? I want to make it for a group ahead of time. Thanks
Hi Mary! I think that should be fine. I always recommend tasting the soup after defrosting; sometimes it needs to be re-seasoned.
Made this soup for my family tonight, and we all LOVED it!!!! So creamy and perfect flavor.
I made the soup last evening and served it with sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches. The soup was heavenly. I really like the balance of flavors and think the carrots really added a sweetness. Thank you
I’m so happy to see this! Thank you for commenting and rating the recipe :)
How many ounces does this recipe make?
I’ve now made this three or four times and its always delicious! I’m going to get the ingredients to make it again today. YUM!