20-Minute Tomato Bisque Soup
Published 8/18/2024
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This flavorful Tomato Bisque Soup is made in under 20 minutes. With Greek yogurt and fresh basil, it offers all the flavor with a healthy twist!
Featured Comment
“OH MY GOODNESS. Lee’s recipes are all phe-NOM-enol ! Just made this tomato bisque tonight for dinner with a grilled cheese sammie and it was perfect for this rainy fall weather we are having : ) Lee thank you so much for making the most flexible, easy, meal prep-able and customizable recipes that are healthy and delicious — seriously so perfect for a college gal like me. THANK YOU <3” – Allison
This 20-minute Tomato Bisque Soup is the perfect comfort food that comes together quickly! This recipe cuts out a lot of leg work by using canned tomato products. That way, you can pretty much make this recipe at any moment if your kitchen is stocked with canned goods.
With a rich tomato flavor and a creamy texture, this recipe is a consistent family favorite. It’s perfect for serving by itself or alongside a grilled cheese sandwich or other dishes.
What makes a bisque soup?
First things first, what is “bisque?” And, what is the difference between this soup and a normal tomato soup recipe? A bisque is a cream-based soup that has a velvety texture and a smooth taste.
What is the difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque?
The difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque soup is the addition of dairy in a tomato bisque. Most tomato bisque soups are creamed with cream, but we actually used 2 kinds of dairy – Greek yogurt and heavy cream.
What You Need for this Quick Tomato Bisque Soup
Before getting started. We suggest assembling everything you need so that you can whiz through this soup recipe!
- Yellow onion and garlic: these bad boys add flavor to the bisque.
- Tomato paste: since tomato paste is condensed, it adds a richer tomato flavor to the bisque.
- Diced tomatoes: use regular diced or petite diced canned tomatoes.
- Whole tomatoes: use canned plum or Roma tomatoes.
- Basil: we use a little fresh basil to add aromatic flavor, but you could use other fresh herbs like rosemary
- Vegetable broth: adds a lighter, more neutral flavor than chicken broth.
- Greek yogurt and heavy cream: this is what makes the soup a bisque and adds a smooth, creamy texture. You can use sour cream in place of Greek yogurt if you like.
- Apple cider vinegar: this secret ingredient is what enhances the other flavors in the soup!
How to Make Tomato Bisque From Scratch
Step 1: Sauté
Begin by prepping yellow onion and garlic. Dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic. Then, saute them in olive oil with salt and pepper until your onions are translucent.
Step 2: Blend
Place canned tomato products, basil, and garlic powder in a high-speed blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Then, add the contents of your pot to the blender and blend until smooth again.
Step 3: Heat
Pour the contents of the blender into a large pot and turn the heat to medium/high. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn to low and then add vegetable broth, cream, Greek yogurt, and apple cider vinegar.
Optional Simmer
At this point, your soup is ready to go! However, if you’d like to add more depth of flavor to your soup, you can let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Can I make this delicious tomato bisque spicy?
Yes! You can use fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular diced tomatoes for a slight kick! Or, you can use cayenne pepper to add a little spice.
Can I make this tomato bisque dairy-free?
Yes! To make this tomato bisque dairy-free, use dairy-free Greek yogurt and heavy cream.
How to Store Creamy Tomato Bisque
Store your leftover tomato bisque in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can you Freeze Tomato Bisque?
If you want to freeze tomato bisque soup, we recommend doing so before adding any kind of dairy. Make the soup as is, but add the dairy once you thaw and reheat to prevent curdling.
To freeze: follow our “how to freeze soup” tutorial!
Serving Suggestions
We recommend serving your soup in a bowl with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and homemade croutons! It also pairs super well with:
- Crispy Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Crusty bread
- Easy Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Grilled Chicken Salad
- Ultimate Garden Salad
- Our Favorite Turkey Sandwich
- Turkey Pesto Sandwiches
20-Minute Tomato Bisque Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 1 28-oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 large basil leaves, fresh
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oilve oil in a large stock pot over medium/high heat.
- When the olive oil is fragrant, add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper, and sautee for around 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.
- Meanwhile, place tomato paste, diced tomatoes, whole peeled tomatoes, basil leaves, and garlic powder into a high-speed blender.
- Once the onions are translucent, add that mixture to the blender as well.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until everything is pureed.
- Transfer mixture back into the stockpot and turn to medium/high heat.
- Once the soup is boiling, turn heat down to low and add vegetable broth, cream, Greek yogurt, and apple cider vinegar.
- Mix soup until everything is combined and creamy.
- Option to serve immediately, or to continue to let simmer for 10-20 minutes for more depth of flavor.
- Taste soup before serving and add salt and pepper, to taste.
Tips & Notes
- This recipe was slightly updated on November 6, 2019.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Yo I made a mean grilled cheese and dipped the hell out of it in this soup. Absolute explosion of taste in my mouth. OOWwwwwwEEE!
I absolutely love it!!!
It tasted like a can. We did not like it. We threw the meal out.
I really don’t like canned tomato soup. The recipe I have is similar but you only use fresh tomatoes or freshly frozen tomatoes and everyone loves it.
If you ever have a recipe that tastes “canned”, especially tomato, you can always add a pinch of sugar to your sauce/soup. The sweetness will counteract the acidity and remove the metallic taste from most dishes 🙂
Wondering how many cups is a serving size?? 1 cup?
Could I leave out the yogurt?
Hi! Yes you can, but then it won’t be a bisque. It will still be delicious, don’t worry!
Just add more cream.
Wonderful soup! I substituted the chicken broth with vegetable broth and it was so good that I’m making it again today!
I thought this recipe was fantastic. As a tomato soup I expected it to have quite a bit of tomato flavor and loved it. I also used dried basil instead of fresh basil and it turned out great. Very simple and easy to make!
This was delicious and easy to make! Perfect for the chilly rainy weather we are having. Thanks, Lee!
Ignore the ignorant! Does anyone know how many Freestyle Points this would be? Thanks!
You never owned a blender? Had to look up bisque? And you blog on food?