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Home » Weeknight Meals » Main Dish

Tomato Bisque Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes

Posted: September 12, 2022 by lena gladstone | Updated: September 13, 2022

621 shares

Learn how to make this homemade Tomato Bisque Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes and a handful of aromatics, herbs, and cream. It’s silky smooth, undeniably fresh, and easy to make in one pot!

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a bowl of tomato bisque on a blue plate with a grilled cheese sandwich.

The best homemade tomato soup

As summer comes to an end, you need a dish that represents the transition from bold, vibrant flavors into the warming comfort foods of fall. This Tomato Bisque Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes is perfect! It’s made with the last bunch of ripe summer tomatoes and finished with cream to give it a silky smooth texture.

This fresh tomato bisque is much more comforting than a traditional tomato soup recipe and it’s all thanks to the cream! Just like my Creamy Cauliflower Soup and Zuppa Toscana, the batch is finished with a good amount of heavy cream for that signature velvety smooth mouthfeel. It’s what keeps you coming back for more.

a woman's hand dipping a grilled cheese sandwich into a bowl of tomato bisque.

Tomato bisque vs. tomato soup

The difference between tomato bisque and tomato soup comes down to the texture, broth, and amount of cream. Traditionally, a bisque is a pureed soup made with a shellfish stock and heavy cream base. Tomato soup is more liquidy because it’s made with pureed vegetables and stock.

A bisque can be somewhat heavy and creamy but very comforting. Serve it up hot or let it chill in the fridge before enjoying it cold (you can’t do that with tomato soup)!

Ingredients for tomato bisque in individual bowls on a white tray.

Ingredients and substitutions

You won’t find anything complicated in this tomato bisque recipe. The most important rule is to find the freshest tomatoes in order to achieve that garden fresh flavor. Here’s what you need:

  • Tomatoes – You can use any variety of tomatoes to make tomato bisque, such as cherry, grape, heirloom, Roma, San Marzano, beefsteak, or fire-roasted tomatoes. Use whatever you have on hand or, if you find yourself without any fresh tomatoes, use canned whole tomatoes instead. 
  • Vegetables – Like carrots, onion, and garlic. Even more can be added for extra substance and nutrition, such as diced potatoes, celery, squash, or bell peppers.
  • Oregano – Fresh oregano is best. Feel free to add extra seasonings to enhance the Italian flavors. A pre-mixed Italian seasoning blend is a quick solution or you can sprinkle in basil, thyme, rosemary, or marjoram.
  • Chicken stock – Or use vegetable stock if you’re vegetarian.
  • Heavy cream – Try not to leave this out! Otherwise, your bisque will be a regular tomato soup.
4 images showing how to make tomato bisque in a large pink pot.

How to make tomato bisque with fresh tomatoes

Begin by cooking the vegetables. Add the oil and melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Next, add the carrots and onions and saute until the onions are translucent. To finish, add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Now you can add the tomatoes. Toss the tomatoes, oregano, salt, and chicken stock into the pot. Give everything a good stir.

Bring the soup up to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer until the tomatoes have begun to break down.

Once it’s done simmering, take the pot off of the heat and season the soup with fresh basil leaves. 

Blend until smooth. Either ladle the soup into a large blender bowl or use an immersion blender to puree the batch in the pot. Blend until smooth.

Pour the pureed tomato soup back into the pot. Stir in the cream until it’s fully incorporated and looking silky smooth.

Serve. Ladle the creamy tomato bisque into bowls and garnish with more fresh basil and a swirl of cream on top. Serve with crusty bread or grilled cheese on the side and enjoy!

a wooden spoon stirring a large pot of tomato bisque.

Roasted tomato bisque

Roasting the tomatoes in the oven will add depth and enhance their naturally sweet flavor in the bisque. To do so, quarter the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Lay them on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt before roasting them in a 400ºF oven for 15-20 minutes.

Once they’re blistered and have released a lot of their juices, transfer the roasted tomatoes to the pot with the sauteed vegetables and continue the recipe as normal.

Tips and variations

  • Add dynamic flavors with extra vegetables. Replace some of the tomatoes with diced butternut squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or roasted red peppers.
  • Is it too acidic? You can break up the acidity by stirring a pinch of sugar into the soup.
  • To make a vegan tomato bisque, replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock and use canned full-fat coconut cream or cashew cream instead of heavy cream.

Storing and freezing

  • To Store. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • To Freeze. Transfer tomato bisque to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • To Reheat. Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
3 bowls of tomato bisque topped with a creamy drizzle and green herbs.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to peel tomatoes for soup?

The peels do not affect the texture, flavor, or quality of the soup, which means they can be left on or off. If you want to peel the tomatoes first, boil the whole tomatoes in water for 1 minute before immediately transferring them to a bowl of ice water. Remove and discard the peels.

Should you remove the seeds from tomatoes when making soup?

Just like the peels, tomato seeds can add another layer of flavor to the bisque. And, since it’s a blended soup, you don’t have to worry about getting seeds stuck in your teeth. It’s more important to de-seed tomatoes when making fresher meals, like tomato salad, because they contain so much extra liquid.

Can you use milk instead of cream?

I wouldn’t recommend it because milk won’t make the bisque as thick or creamy.

What are the best tomatoes to use in tomato bisque?

Any you have on hand! Tomato bisque recipes can be made with fresh, roasted, or canned tomatoes of any variety. Some of the most popular are fire-roasted, Roma, San Marzano, cherry, or grape tomatoes.

How many tomatoes are in 1 pound?

It depends on the type of fresh tomatoes you’re using. Use this conversion chart from The Spruce Eats to figure out just how many tomatoes you need for this recipe.

Looking for more ways to use fresh tomatoes?

  • Pan Con Tomate
  • Tomato Burrata Salad
  • Tomato and Ricotta Tart
  • 5-Ingredient Tomato Vinaigrette
  • B.L.A.T. Sandwich

Did you try this Tomato Bisque Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes? Let me know what you think in the comments below, or share a picture on Instagram! I love to share all of your recreations on my page.

Tomato Bisque Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes

4.2 from 35 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 40 minutes mins
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lena Gladstone
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Learn how to make homemade Tomato Bisque with Fresh Tomatoes and a handful of aromatics, herbs, and cream. It’s silky smooth, undeniably fresh, and easy to make in one pot!

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 3 pounds tomatoes, chopped or use 2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes
  • 4 sprigs oregano, leaves removed or use 1 teaspoon dried
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt, or more to taste
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • ¾ cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed (plus more for garnish)

Instructions

  • In a large heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add in the carrots and onions and stir until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  • Add in tomatoes, oregano leaves, salt, and chicken stock.
  • Bring the soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Add in the fresh basil.
  • Using an immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot until smooth. Or transfer the soup to a high powered blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add the soup back to the pot and pour in the cream. Stir until fully incorporated.
  • Serve in bowls, garnish with fresh basil, and a swirl of heavy cream. This wuld be delicious with either crusty bread and butter or a side of grilled cheese.

Notes

Tips and variations
  • Add dynamic flavors with extra vegetables. Replace some of the tomatoes with diced butternut squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or roasted red peppers.
  • Is it too acidic? You can break up the acidity by stirring a pinch of sugar into the soup.
  • To make a vegan tomato bisque, replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock and use canned full-fat coconut cream or cashew cream instead of heavy cream.
Storing and freezing:
  • To Store. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • To Freeze. Transfer tomato bisque to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • To Reheat. Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: appetizer, dinner, easy appetizer, easy dinner, lunch, soup, tomato soup, tomatoes, veggies, weeknight dinner

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 929mg | Potassium: 806mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 6806IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg
621 shares

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Reader Interactions

4.18 from 35 votes (28 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Reviews
Questions

Comments

  1. Linda

    at

    5 stars
    I used fresh cherry size tomatoes and fresh basil from my garden, and the bisque turned out perfect, absolutely splendid! I am going to try it again with the can whole tomatoes, and see if there is a difference.

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      So happy to hear that Linda, fresh tomatoes and basil are the best addition.

  2. Maryka Barda

    at

    5 stars
    I used frozen tomatoes from the garden. This recipe was so ridiculously good!

    Reply
    • lena

      at

      I am so happy to hear that. Thank you for trying my recipe.

  3. Angela

    at

    I made this today. Delicious. I did not add any stock and it is great without stock.

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      Glad that your tomatoes gave it enough natural broth so you din’t have to add. Happy that you enjoyed the recipe Angela.

  4. Emily

    at

    5 stars
    It’s stupid how good this recipe is.
    I broil the tomatoes and take off their skin. The skins definitely affected the texture of the soup but I didn’t care because it’s so good. It was good enough to make another batch removing the skins.
    It freezes well too!
    Also for making vegan, make sure not to use butter!

    Reply
    • Emily

      at

      Thank you!You just answered my question about freezing.

    • lena gladstone

      at

      Glad to help Emily

    • Linda

      at

      5 stars
      I forgot to ask, how long can the bisque be kept in the refrigerator and also can it be frozen and if so, for how long?

    • lena gladstone

      at

      Hi Linda, I just went in and added the information in the recipe card for reference.

  5. Christene

    at

    5 stars
    Delicious! An easy recipe and I did use the air fryer first then put ever In the vitamix then cooked for 30 minutes. Turned out great! Thankyou for your recipe!

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      Ohh what a great idea, didn’t think about using the air fryer for this one. I think the tomatoes might loose the juices a bit this way, but glad to hear that you enjoyed it.

  6. Vita

    at

    5 stars
    Definitely my favorite tomato soup!! So creamy!!

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      That is so great to hear that Vita, thank you so much for trying the recipe and loving it.

  7. Marisol Avila

    at

    5 stars
    Delicious and so easy! Directions are full proof with this recipe. So perfect for cozy soup days.

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      This makes me so happy to hear Marisol. I love it too, so easy and delicious. Glad you enjoyed it as well.

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Welcome, glad you’re here!

Hi, I’m Lena Gladstone, the recipe developer and food photographer behind Lena’s Kitchen. Here you will find approachable food recipes to share with the whole family. Keto friendly, weeknight dinners all made with fresh ingredients. Click here to learn more!

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