One thing I won’t ever tire of is a nice hot bowl of soup. Make that soup a creamy bowl of tomato bisque, and I am in heaven. One of the best things about this deliciously easy soup is you can enjoy it all year long.
What is even better is if you are growing those wonderful tomatoes in your garden this season you can save them by canning or freezing them and turn them into this amazing tomato bisque with this tomato bisque recipe once the weather starts to chill off. Either way, you won’t regret trying this recipe and it just may make it to the list of your favorite soups.
The Best Tomatoes for a Scrumptious Tomato Bisque
When thinking about tomatoes there are hundreds of varieties. So it is very easy to be confused about which would be the best tastiest tomatoes to use in your bisque.
One of the best tomatoes to use for any soups, stews, and sauces is the Roma Tomato. These tomatoes offer robust flavors and give an amazing texture.
Of course, you can use any type of tomato you would prefer, some may have more seeds than others and some can give off different textures, but no tomato is a bad tomato to use when cooking.
Canned Versus Fresh
Now, you do not have to use fresh tomatoes to make this tomato bisque, you could in fact use store-bought canned tomatoes. Stewed or crushed would work best for this recipe.
When using fresh tomatoes there are a few more steps you need to take in order to prepare the tomato bisque perfectly but in my opinion, it is totally worth it.
When working with fresh tomatoes you will need to peel them and prepare them in a specific way to get the best quality bisque. You can read just how easy it is to peel a tomato, you may be skipping the canned stuff for good!
The Difference Between Tomato Soup and Tomato Bisque
So what exactly is the difference between tomato bisque and tomato soup? The biggest difference is tomato bisque is a heavier creamier soup because it’s always made with heavy cream. Tomato soup is a thinner consistency and won’t be made using any type of cream.
What you will Need for This Recipe
Making this tomato bisque is so easy and comes together in no time at all. You are going to need the following:
– Dutch Oven or Heavy Stock Pot
– Small Sieve or Strainer
– Bowl of Ice Water (If Using Fresh Tomatoes)
That is the materials we will be using to make this yummy tomato bisque, pretty simple so far! If you do not have an immersion blender you can always use a regular blender, just make sure the bisque cools down to room temperature before blending.
How to Make Tomato Bisque – Step by Step
I am using fresh tomatoes to make my tomato bisque today but if you decided to use canned you can skip to step 5.
1. Thoroughly wash and clean your tomatoes, once they are washed slice a small X in the bottom of the tomatoes, this helps the skin peel off much easier.
2. In your dutch oven or stock pot add water and salt and bring to a small boil, once the water is at a low boil add in your tomatoes and wait until the skin begins to peel away.
3. Once the skin has peeled away from the tomato’s flesh place the tomatoes in a separate bowl of ice water to blanch, one they are cool to the touch you can easily peel the skin away and discard them.
4. Save four cups of the liquid your tomatoes were cooked in, we are adding this as part of our stock to the bisque.
5. Cut up two stalks of celery, four garlic cloves, and one medium onion to a small dice.
6. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of your dutch oven or stock pot and turn the flame to medium-high.
7. Once the oil has heated up add in the chopped vegetable and sautee until the onion is translucent and the celery has softened up.
8. Once the vegetable are softened it’s time to add in either your freshly peeled tomatoes or your canned stewed or crushed tomatoes.
9. Next it is time to add in our spices, add salt and pepper to taste, one teaspoon dried basil, one teaspoon sugar, a pinch of cayenne, and a pinch of paprika.
10. Give this a good stir to make sure everything is well combined then add in your four cups of tomato stock (If not using the fresh tomato method use water). Then add in two chicken bullion cubes.
11. Bring the mixture to a boil while consistently stirring to prevent any burning, once at a boil bring the temperature down a bit and cover with the lid. Let this cook for about thirty minutes to an hour.
12. Once everything had a chance to simmer and cook together now it is time to blend. Using your immersion blender blend all of your ingredients together in the same pot until nice and smooth. (If using a regular blender, make sure to cool the soup before putting it into the blender, this is very important).
13. Once you have a good smooth consistency you can run the bisque through a small sieve to make it even smoother. I personally like this step but it is a personal preference.
14. Once you have your bisque back into the pot it’s time to add in the heavy cream, add in 1/2 of a cup of the heavy cream and give it a stir.
15. And there you have it a super easy and delicious homemade tomato bisque perfect with your favorite grilled cheese on a rainy day!
Chefs Tips
Making this tomato bisque is so simple and it really comes together in no time. I do prefer to use the fresh tomato method as I believe it just adds even more freshness of flavor but canned is also delicious.
You can make this tomato bisque any time of year and is a huge hit with kids and adults. Pair with a gooey and creamy grilled cheese and no one can resist.
You can store this bisque in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days after you have cooked it, just make sure your bisque has cooled to room temperature before sealing it up and placing it into the fridge.
If you are looking to make a batch of this soup to freeze you can follow the methods above and place it in the freezer for up to three months. Once you are ready to serve just place it on your countertop to defrost before adding it to a saucepan to heat back up.
Wrapping up the Best Tomato Bisque Recipe
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Even though there are a few extra steps when deciding to use fresh tomatoes I think you will find that it is absolutely worth it! The creaminess of this bisque is sure to have everyone wanting seconds especially when paired with a fresh salad or cheesy melty grilled cheese.
Let us know if you have tried this recipe and how it turned out for you. Excited for more tomato content? Then visit our tomato page for growing tips, comprehensive guides, and tasty recipes!
Want more recipes? Make sure to check out all the Minnetonka Orchards recipes.
Tomato Bisque Recipe
This is a delicious and simple tomato bisque recipe. With some classic Roma tomatoes, some chopped veggies, garlic, and cream, you'll have an incredible tomato bisque on your hands.
Ingredients
- 4 Roma Tomatoes, or Your Favorite Variety OR One can 28 oz. of Crushed or Stewed Tomatoes
- 4 Cups of Water OR cooking liquid from tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion
- 2 Celery Stalks
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Pinch Cayenne
- Pinch Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Boil washed Roma tomatoes and remove skin.
- Save 4 cups of tomato stock (the liquid you boiled the tomatoes in).
- Dice celery, garlic, and onion.
- Heat oil until warm and add diced vegies. Simmer until translucient.
- Add stewed tomato and all spices.
- Add tomato stock and chicken bullion cubes, then stir.
- Cover and boil for 30-60 minutes.
- Use immersion blender to blend further if desired.
- Add heavy cream.
- Stir and enjoy!
