Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque Recipe – Easy & Homemade

Creamy tomato basil bisque is a rich, smooth tomato soup made with crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, sautéed vegetables, and half-and-half. A pinch of cayenne and allspice adds subtle warmth, and the entire soup comes together in about 40 minutes.

The trickiest part of making a creamy tomato soup is adding the dairy without making it grainy. I've had that happen with this recipe, so I tested a different method: let the soup cool to about 150°F, temper the half-and-half with some of the warm soup, and then slowly stir it into the pot. The result was noticeably smoother and creamier, so that's now the method I use.

Recipe Summary

• 🍅 What is it? Creamy tomato basil bisque is a rich, velvety from-scratch tomato soup - crushed tomatoes simmered with sautéed onion, celery, carrots, and fresh basil, then blended smooth and finished with half-and-half.
• ❤️ Why you'll love it? Sweet, tomato-forward and comforting with a subtle warmth from allspice and a pinch of cayenne - vegetarian, ready in about 40 minutes, and made for dunking a grilled cheese or crusty bread.
• 👩‍🍳 How do you make it? Sauté the onion, celery and carrots in olive oil and butter, add crushed tomatoes, broth, basil and spices, and bring to a boil. Blend smooth, simmer and let cool slightly, then temper and stir in the half-and-half and don't boil once the dairy is in.

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Why you'll love this tomato basil bisque

• Ready in about 40 minutes
• Rich and creamy without being overly heavy
• Made with convenient canned tomatoes and fresh basil
• A touch of cayenne and allspice adds subtle warmth
• Easy to make vegetarian with vegetable broth
• Perfect with grilled cheese or crusty bread
• Tested technique helps keep the half-and-half smooth instead of grainy

What is tomato bisque?

Tomato bisque is a smooth, creamy tomato soup made with tomatoes, broth, aromatics, and cream or another dairy ingredient. While traditional bisques were originally associated with seafood, the term is now commonly used for rich, puréed soups finished with cream.

This tomato basil bisque starts with onion, celery, and carrots sautéed in butter and olive oil. Crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, fresh basil, cayenne, and allspice are added before the soup is blended smooth and finished with half-and-half.

Until recently, a creamy tomato bisque was one of those things I would pick up at my university's cafeteria when I had little or no time for lunch. Then a couple of months ago my son, the aspiring chef, brought home some from the country club where he works. It was comfort food in a Styrofoam container. He said he had seen the chef make it and that it was not too difficult. "We can do this at home", Mom, he said. So, I thought, how hard can it be to replicate a recipe for tomato bisque? Just a handful of ingredients, right? You bet!

Key Ingredients

• Crushed tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes make this soup easy to prepare year-round and give the bisque a smooth tomato base.
• Fresh basil: Fresh basil gives the soup its distinctive flavor.
• Half-and-half: This gives the bisque its creamy texture without making it as rich as using two full cups of heavy cream.
• Onion, celery, and carrots: These aromatic vegetables create a flavorful base and add a subtle natural sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Cayenne and allspice: Just a small amount of each adds warmth and depth without making the soup noticeably spicy.

How to make tomato basil bisque

Sauté the vegetables

• Step 1: Gather all the ingredients and have them measured, chopped, and ready to go.
• Step 2: In a soup pot or Dutch oven, on medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. Sauté the celery, carrots, and onions.  Stir frequently until the onions are translucent. Add the salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes, broth, basil and spices

• Step 3: Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.
• Step 4: Pour in the vegetable broth.

• Step 5: Add basil that has been cut into strips. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Step 6: Next add the cayenne and allspice.

Blend the soup until smooth

• Step 7: Using an immersion blender, crush all the ingredients until smooth.

Cool and temper the half-and-half

• Step 8: Turn off the heat and allow it to cool to approximately 150°F. Temper the half-and-half with a little warm soup, then slowly stir it into the pot. Gently reheat if needed, but do not boil.

How to keep tomato bisque from curdling

Tomatoes are acidic, and adding half-and-half while the soup is extremely hot can cause the dairy proteins to separate, giving the bisque a grainy appearance and texture. I experienced this myself when making the recipe, so I tested letting the soup cool before adding the dairy.

After blending, I now turn off the heat and let the soup cool to approximately 150°F. In a separate bowl, I gradually whisk one or two ladles of the warm soup into the half-and-half to temper it. Then I slowly stir the tempered half-and-half back into the soup.

If the bisque needs to be warmer, gently reheat it over low heat, but don't let it boil. Using this method gave me a noticeably smoother, creamier bisque.

Tips for the best tomato basil bisque

• Use good-quality canned tomatoes since they're the main flavor of the soup.
• Use fresh basil if possible for the best flavor.
• Blend thoroughly with an immersion blender for a smooth, velvety texture.
• Let the soup cool to about 150°F before adding the half-and-half.
• Temper the half-and-half with some of the warm soup before slowly stirring it into the pot.
• Once the dairy has been added, reheat gently and don't allow the soup to boil.

Frequently asked questions:

More soups to try

If you enjoy this creamy tomato basil bisque, try a few more comforting soups from around the world. Thai coconut soup, or Tom Kha Gai, combines chicken, coconut milk, lemongrass, and lime for a creamy soup with bright, aromatic flavors. Irish potato soup is simple, hearty, and perfect for a chilly day, while Moroccan harira is a satisfying tomato-based soup with lentils, chickpeas, and warm spices. For something with a little more kick, chicken tortilla soup is loaded with Mexican flavors and finished with crispy tortilla strips. Middle Eastern lentil soup is another comforting choice, made with lentils, vegetables, and warming spices for an easy and flavorful meal.

📖 Recipe

Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque Recipe - Easy & Homemade

Analida Braeger

This creamy tomato basil bisque is made with crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, vegetables, and half-and-half with a touch of cayenne and allspice. Cooling the soup and tempering the dairy helps keep it smooth and creamy.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 173 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ cup celery diced
• 1 cup carrots diced
• 1 onion large, diced
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper cracked
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes 1 can
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 10 basil leaves cut into strips
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 2 cups half and half

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Instructions

 

• In a soup pot or Dutch oven place olive oil and butter. Sauté the celery, carrots and onions until translucent.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the allspice and cayenne.
• Using an immersion blender, carefully crush all the ingredients.
• Turn off the heat and allow it to cool to approximately 150°F. Temper the half-and-half with a little warm soup, then slowly stir it into the pot. Gently reheat if needed, but do not boil. See notes.

Notes

 Tempering the half-and-half:
In a separate bowl, gradually whisk 1-2 ladles of the warm soup into the half-and-half to temper it. Slowly pour the tempered half-and-half into the soup, stirring continuously until fully incorporated. If necessary, gently reheat over low heat without allowing the soup to boil.

Heavy cream:

Heavy cream can be substituted for half-and-half for a richer bisque. Its higher fat content also makes it less likely to curdle when combined with acidic tomatoes.  I wouldn't automatically recommend replacing all 2 cups with heavy cream because it would substantially increase the richness and calories.

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 933mgPotassium: 457mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3475IUVitamin C: 11.8mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 1.4mg

Keyword creamy tomato soup, homemade tomato bisque, tomato basil bisque, tomato basil soup, tomato bisque recipe

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Originally published March 2016 and updated September 2020.