Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque (Printable)

Rich blend of tomatoes, basil, and cream creating a smooth, comforting bowl in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
05 - 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes, with juices
06 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

→ Liquids

07 - 2 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon sugar
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and carrot, sautéing for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.
03 - Add diced tomatoes with their juices, fresh basil, vegetable broth, sugar, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir well to incorporate all flavors.
04 - Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop flavor.
05 - Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until completely smooth. Alternatively, carefully blend in batches using a standard blender.
06 - Stir heavy cream into the pureed soup. Reheat gently over low heat for 2–3 minutes, being careful not to boil. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle hot bisque into serving bowls. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves and serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The way the cream mingles with the bright tomatoes creates this luxurious silkiness that coats your spoon
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
  • Those little pops of fresh basil throughout make every spoonful feel like a restaurant meal
02 -
  • Adding cold cream to hot soup can cause curdling so let your soup cool slightly or bring your cream to room temperature first
  • Immersion blenders create less mess and more control than transferring hot soup to a traditional blender
  • The soup continues thickening as it cools so aim for slightly thinner than your ideal consistency when hot
03 -
  • A pinch of smoked paprika adds this mysterious depth that people cannot quite identify but keep asking about
  • Run the pureed soup through a fine mesh strainer if you want restaurant-level smoothness without any texture

Return