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ceramic bowl of tomato bisque garnished with cream, basil, and grilled cheese.
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Laura's Tomato Bisque

Tomato Bisque is the MOTHER of all Tomato Soups, guys. It's like regular tomato soup and creamy potato soup got together and had a baby. Instead of being just tomato-based it has the full trifecta of carrot-onions-celery (the holy trinity) that brings in so much flavor and umami. It comes together quickly, and has very simple ingredients. It's the perfect dinner for a chilly day, a cozy weekend, and is quick (and healthy) enough for any week night.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 472kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 cup carrots chopped (about 2 medium carrots)
  • 1 cup celery chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed and minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt to sprinkle on the veggies
  • 4 cups high quality chicken broth*
  • 2 (14.5 ounce cans) fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt for the white sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper for the white sauce
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • fresh basil to garnish

Instructions

  • Prep the veggies. Chop a medium onion. Peel and chop 2 medium carrots until you have about 1 cup. Chop your celery right from the end of the whole head rather than peeling off a stalk. That way you get some of the celery leaves, which add great flavor (see photos).
  • Saute the veggies. In a large soup pot (6 quarts), heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, and celery and saute until carrots are almost soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic.
  • Add all the spices and the garlic: 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced.
  • Add 4 cups chicken broth.* Add 2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes. Add 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  • Once the soup starts to bubble, lower the heat to medium low to keep the soup at a simmer. Continue simmering until the veggies are very soft, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove the bay leaf! Don't forget!
  • Blend. Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.** (See note if you only have a regular blender)
  • Make the roux: Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Continue whisking for about 1 minute after all the butter has been absorbed by the flour.
  • SLOWLY whisk in 1 cup cream and 1 cup milk. The heat should still be set to medium. Don't go quickly; start by adding about 1/4 cup milk. Use the whisk to stir the milk into the flour completely. Then add a bit more milk. Stir until absorbed. Repeat until you have added all the milk and cream, and the mixture is smooth.
  • Once you have a smooth sauce, add 1 cup parmesan. Whisk until smooth. Give it a minute to melt, then turn off the heat.
  • Pour the white sauce into the blended tomato soup. Whisk until smooth. Continue heating on low until ready to serve.
  • Garnish with fresh basil, Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes

*CHICKEN BROTH: Instead of chicken broth, I use Better Than Bouillon. Add 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and 4 cups water. The Roasted Chicken flavor is great, but I also love the Turkey base, it has really rich flavor. If you don't have Better than Bouillon, you can use a couple teaspoons of bouillon granules or cubes. Those are much saltier than the base, so be careful.
**NO IMMERSION BLENDER? If you do not have an immersion blender (why, why??) then let the soup cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a blender. You will have to do it in a few batches. Do not fill the blender to the fill line; add less than you think. The soup is very hot and will expand when blended, which could overflow your blender and splatter you with molten hot lava tomato soup. The other thing I recommend is to take out the little spout at the top of the blender and hold a towel over the top of the lid while blending. This will allow steam to escape and you will be able to avoid tomato soup Pompeii.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4922IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 2mg