Easy Tomato Basil Bisque Recipe
Tomato Bisque made better! Quick and easy Tomato Basil Bisque soup is super simple to whip up in less than 30 minutes. A great weeknight dinner that’s hearty, comforting and better than anything in can. Smooth, creamy but light…this recipe will be on repeat all year long.
We did the pumpkin picking thing this weekend and it was the perfect day. Perfect weather, perfect foliage, perfect angry bees because the weather is making them cranky. It was our annual trek to Merrymead Farm for our two super spendy pumpkins ($15 each this year….ouch) and the most amazing cider donuts.
It’s not fall if we don’t go hit the pumpkin patch so we pull on our boots whether the temperature is 48 degrees or 88 degrees and I make my husband go on a hayride around the farm for my own amusement. Clearly, he is not amused. But now it’s fall in my heart and my head….even though the calendar says it’s been fall for three weeks.
So, now, I’m ready to dive into soup season full force which is totally awesome because making soup is totally my jam. This easy Tomato Basil Bisque recipe is one of my favorite easy soup recipes to whip up in a hurry.
It’s very much the same as my Baked Tomato Bisque recipe but punched up with handfuls of fresh basil. I make it with mostly pantry ingredients or things that you almost always have in your kitchen.
And since most grocery stores carry the hydroponic fresh basil almost all year round, you can get fresh summer flavor in the middle of the winter.
Easy Tomato Basil Bisque
Tomato Bisque is actually tomato soup that has a bit of cream added to it to make it creamy. So, basically, it’s a Creamy Tomato Soup….in a nutshell. You can use this Tomato Basil Bisque recipe as a meal all on it’s own or you can use it as a base for sooooo many different recipes.
We like to add tortellini to our Tomato Bisque when we’re looking for something a little bit heartier than just a simple soup.
Ingredients You Will Need
This creamy tomato bisque is made with simple ingredients but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in flavor.
Here’s what you will need:
- Bacon – We’re just using the bacon fat here so if you store your bacon fat in the fridge like I do after making a batch of bacon then you can just use a tablespoon of that. If you don’t want to use bacon you can totally substitute the bacon fat with olive oil. Bacon does add a ton of flavor though so I encourage you to give it a try.
- Onion – Try to find a vidalia or other sweet onion for the best flavor.
- Garlic – Fresh is best here. If you want to amp up the flavor a little more you can use Roasted Garlic. It’s insanely amazing!
- Chicken Stock – I like to use this homemade chicken stock but store bought stock is not frowned upon. I get it….and I use it, too. Try not to use broth because the flavor isn’t as pronounced. If you’re vegetarian…simply substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
- Tomatoes – You can make Tomato Bisque from fresh tomatoes that are roasted with excellent results. If not, try to find canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes….I like them crushed because it cuts down on blending time.
- Fresh Parsley – Again, fresh is best but if you can’t get your hands on it, use half the amount of dried parsley called for in the recipe.
- Fresh Basil – Same as the parsley, you can use dried but be mindful of the amount because the dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor.
- Cream – You can use heavy cream but I found that Half and Half works just as well and has so much less calories. We didn’t even miss the cream the many times I used it.
- Salt and Pepper – No need to explain here.
Now that you have everything you need, let’s get our soup on!
How To Make It
You’re going to want to use a fairly large dutch oven or heavy bottomed stock pot since things can bubble up….and out. Think like a salad…..you always need a bigger bowl than you anticipate.
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In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
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Add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent.
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Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute.
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Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.
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Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
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Turn the heat off and blend the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the tomato soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Just be careful because the steam can cause your lid to pop off and make a big, painful mess.
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Stir in the heavy cream.
- Serve with more chopped basil and croutons, if desired.
What To Serve With It
Since this tomato soup recipe is on the lighter side, we like to serve it with a variety of recipe.
Here are our favorites:
- Loaded Iceberg Wedge Salad
- Simple greens with Blue Cheese Dressing
- This Pear and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese is amazing
- And so is this Short Rib Taleggio Grilled Cheese
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More Easy Soup Recipes
- Creamy, easy Lobster Bisque Recipe
- Apple Butternut Squash Soup
- The very BEST French Onion Soup
- Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Super easy Beef Cabbage Soup
- Easy Stuffed Cabbage Roll Soup
Get the Recipe: Easy Tomato Basil Bisque Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon , cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 large vidalia onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3/4 cup half and half
Equipment
- stockpot
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and blend the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Stir in the heavy cream.
- Serve immediately with croutons, if desired.
4 Comments on “Easy Tomato Basil Bisque Recipe”
Does the bacon go back into the soup? Or is it just used to produce bacon fat to cook the onion in?
It does not….we use it on a salad then. You can use olive oil but we like the hint of bacon in the soup.
Looking forward to making this. Quick question; the recipe calls for half and half. The instructions say “heavy cream”. Which is better?
Ok, so I love heavy cream in this bisque but it is very rich and that’s why I make the suggestion for half and half. I’ll have to update the instructions but it is a great conversation starter. Thank you for asking!