This easy, creamy 30-minute Tomato Bisque Soup Recipe is smokey, savory and so delicious! It is packed with vegetables and layers of flavor. This easy soup recipe uses pantry ingredients for a quick, delicious weeknight meal!
Because it takes only 30-minutes, it's perfect for lunch or dinner! Creamy Tomato Soup is always a family favorite! Next time try Easy Potato Soup Recipe.
Jump to:
Why this Tomato Bisque soup is the coziest
You know I love a great bowl of soup, like Cream of Cauliflower Soup or my award
This soup is a winner because it only takes 30 minutes to make! It's the perfect comfort food. Rich and hearty, all you need is a grilled cheese sandwich to satisfy your taste buds!!
Ingredients you'll need
- Crushed tomatoes - sweet and flavorful. The recipe calls for canned tomatoes, but you can use fresh tomatoes as well, I prefer Roma tomatoes for the flavor or any organic tomato.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes - to add
smokey flavor, canned whole tomatoes would be a great substitute. - Tomato paste - to drive that tomato flavor home.
- Red and green bell pepper, carrots, celery, garlic - this bisque is loaded with vegetables.
- Smoked paprika powder - rich in flavor and depth, it adds sweet and smokey notes to the bisque!
- Canned chipotle pepper - the rich adobe will add a layer of warm (not big heat to the bisque. No chipotle? Substitute with cayenne pepper.
- Dried Italian herbs, salt, pepper - gotta season the soup!
- All purpose flour - to thicken the soup.
- Vegetable stock or chicken broth - use whichever you prefer and have on hand, homemade chicken stock would be extra delicious!.
- Half and
half - adds richness and will also thicken the soup, substitute with heavy whipping cream or even whole milk if you'd prefer. - Goat cheese - add tanginess and creaminess.
- Butter, olive oil - to soften and sauté the vegetables.
To make the soup vegan.
- Omit the cream and cheese. Substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock and just like that, you have a lovely vegan tomato soup.
Step-by-step instructions
- Chop the vegetables and mince the garlic.
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Melt butter and add olive oil.
- When hot & bubbly, add the onions, peppers, carrots and celery and sauté. Add the seasonings and continue sautéing for about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste, stir to combine. Add the flour, stir well. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and water. Increase the heat to high and stir well until it comes to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan well. The mixture will begin to thicken.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the tomato mixture uncovered for about 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, crumble in the goat cheese and stir until it melts through.
- Remove from the heat. You can blend the soup in a large blender, an immersion blender, or food processor, until smooth consistency and creamy, velvety texture.
- Lastly, add the milk and stir until combined. Heat through, do not bring to a boil
Essential tools for this recipe
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
- To make the soup super creamy, you can use a traditional blender, food processor, or a stick blender (Immersion Blender).
For more of my favorite soup making products, check out my Amazon Store here.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ's)
A bisque is a soup that often contains cream. It's pureed until smooth, luscious and creamy!
Really the biggest difference between tomato soup and a tomato bisque is the bisque will contain cream and be thicker. Both soups are smooth and pureed.
Deb's tips for silky, flavorful bisque
Take the time to process the soup until smooth. If you're using a blender or food processor, you'll need to do it in batches. Don't overfill the blender or processor as the heat will expand the soup as it blends.
- What do you do when you open a can of chipotle peppers or tomato paste and only need a tablespoon? Freeze the remaining. Separate the peppers into small plastic bags, date the bags and freeze them individually. Do the same for tomato paste by 1 tablespoon increments.
- The stronger your blender or food processor is, the smoother and silkier your soup will be. It processes the soup better!
- Finish the hot soup with fresh basil - delicious!Or topping the soup with crispy croutons or popcorn adds a wonderful texture and crunch!
For more soup-making tips and tricks - click here for Homemade Soup; A Complete Guide!
Storage
Refrigerate - this creamy soup will last in the refrigerator up to three days.
Freezer - When the creamy tomato soup is complete. Place a quart in an airtight container and freeze. It freezes GREAT, up to three months.
Related recipes
You all know I love a great bowl of soup! Whether it's a great bowl of Mediterrean Lentil Soup, loaded potato soup or sweet potato Gypsy Soup - so amazing!
Check this out for our BEST Homemade Soup Recipes on the blog!
Serve with
The hands-down favorite side dish to serve with this soup recipe is toasted cheese sandwiches and a Caesar salad. What a great dinner! How can you go wrong?
Total comfort food, wouldn't you agree? Whether it's a beautiful fall day or you are craving something delicious, this is the perfect recipe. Please leave a comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1 red and green bell pepper seeds removed and roughly diced
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ chipotle pepper minced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 oz goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Begin by chopping the vegetables and mincing the garlic.
- Place a large dutch oven over medium heat. Heat butter and olive oil. When hot and bubbly add chopped onions, peppers, carrots and celery and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the dried herbs, smoked paprika, salt & pepper and continue sauteing for about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste, stir thoroughly to combine. Add the flour and incorporate well. Cooking for about two minutes to cook out the flour taste.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and water. Increase the heat to high and stir well until it comes to a boil. The mixture will begin to thicken. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes crumble in the goat cheese and stir until it melts thru.
- Remove from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Lastly add the milk and stir until is combined. Heat thru, do not bring to a boil
Notes
- Heat a large stockpot over medium heat, add the butter & olive oil. Add the onions, peppers, carrots and celery and saute. Add the seasoning and continue sauteing for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the sauteed vegetables to the slow cooker.
- Add the tomato paste and the garlic, stir to combine. Add the flour and mix well. Cooking for about two minutes to cook out the flour taste.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the goat cheese and cook on low for four hours.
- Remove lid and crumble in cheese. Replace lid and melt the cheese (about 15 minutes).
- Puree until smooth.
Love this recipe? Join the free membership group!
Nutrition
If you love this recipe, be sure to give it 5 stars!
Recipe backstory
The inspiration for this easy Tomato Bisque came from a road trip to Bend, Oregon.
Dan had a conference there and I decided to tag along. ROAD TRIP!!! Starting in Fresno, we drove up Interstate Five into Oregon. Along the way, we had a nice easy drive and stopped whenever we felt like it.
Sometimes for a picnic, sometimes for an amazing view - whatever struck our fancy! You can see all the photos and read about our adventure, just scroll down to the bottom of the blog post.
You're going to love how easy and delicious because it takes just over 30 minutes to make.
It's loaded with dried chipotle chili powder and chipotle for warm spice and the earthy flavor comes from the goat cheese with
But hey, if you're not a fan of goat cheese, that's ok - substitute with cream cheese. It will give you creaminess without the strong flavor.
On our road trip we met Mom and Dad in Bend, got to see Mount Shasta on the drive up and spent some time seeing the sights, pictured below.
Once we got to Bend, we met my folks. They had driven over from the Portland area and we got to enjoy a couple of days filled with fun and adventure!
One of the places we went was Pilot Butte in Bend (that's the photo directly above).
It's an extinct volcano that rises 500 feet above the surrounding plains. It's a State Park with a beautiful viewpoint. From the top, you can see Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier and the Three Sisters Mountain Range. It's an absolutely amazing view!
We had lots of fun and did quite a bit of picture taking.
Bend is also famous for
Of course, we had some good eats, too. While the boys grilled up some steaks, Mom and I made a salad and sauteed some mushrooms - always a favorite with grilled steaks!
We often stay at an
How about you, have you ever used one of those services?
One meal I really enjoyed was a delicious cup of soup from a small family restaurant. I looked up this restaurant on the internet and gave them a call beforehand.
The maître d walked
This
Hope you enjoyed the pictures from our road trip! Now let's get to cooking this amazing Homemade Tomato Bisque!!
Lois says
The soup is just great. We love and and had a great visit and great food.
Jo Foster says
Can this soup be frozen?
Bowl Me Over says
Yes Jo, the Tomato Bisque will freeze well.
Bobbi Convery says
Deb, Bend is beautiful, and so is this recipe. I will be making this soon!
Bowl Me Over says
We've toyed with the idea of retiring in Bend - it's just so pretty! Thank you Bobbi for your support and I know you'll love this soup!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
That view of mount Shasta is glorious! Fingers crossed y'all get the snow it needs! Speaking of needing - I think I need me a bowl of this! Spicy, Smokey, easy, delicious and only 30 minutes to make - makes this my kinda tomato bisque!
Corina says
it sounds delicious and I love that it's got a bit of heat in too! I also need to clear out my freezer and make some room now Christmas is coming! I hope I find something hidden away in mine that's as delicious as this soup.
Bowl Me Over says
Good luck, you have to appreciate those hidden treasures! 😀 thanks Corina!
Sharon says
I love a great tomato soup! And a bisque is even better. Sooo creamy. I love your idea of adding croutons to the soup. A slightly healthier option to making a grilled cheese.
Bowl Me Over says
I do love the croutons on top, <3 the creamy/crunchy texture. Thanks Sharon!
Cat stevens says
Soup in this cold weather is a must. Great recipe Deb. Thank you.
Janie says
Oh you've got me craving soup for lunch! I have a nasty chest infection so this would be just perfect 🙂
Janie x
Bowl Me Over says
One order of Chicken Soup coming up Janie! I hope you feel better soon!
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says
This soup looks so good - especially with those croutons. I never think to add croutons to soup, but it must add such a great texture contrast.
Bowl Me Over says
So true Julie - it adds just that little "bit" you're looking for. Thanks for stopping by!
Liza says
Wow, Debra, this soup is truly amazing! Easy to make, low-calorie&low-fat, and at the same time it looks super-indulgent! I love this type of a soup and it's hard to find a good recipe for it. But it looks like I've just found one! 🙂 And wow, how beautiful are those views! Amazing!
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you Liza - this is such an amazing soup! So much wonderful flavor, lots of depth without a whole lot of work! I sure hope you give it a try!
Dan clark says
Perfect for a chilly foggy valley day!
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you so much! 😀 We love this soup, thank you my dear!!
Debi @ Life Currents says
This looks awesome! So warm and comforting. I could go for this for lunch today. Yum!
Bowl Me Over says
I hear you there - not much better than a great bowl of soup!
Sandi (@sandigtweets) says
Looks like a wonderful trip and lots of quality family time. Beautiful soup.
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Sandi!
Katerina says
Beautiful photos Debra and the soup goes perfectly with the scenery and the company!
Bowl Me Over says
Thank you Katerina - family time is always the best time! I hope you enjoy the soup! 😀
The Food Hunter says
what a cool adventure and a delicious soup.
Bowl Me Over says
Gotta love a great road trip! 😀 Thank you!
Audrey says
I so enjoyed your photos, thanks for sharing! This recipe looks amazing, can't wait to try it!
Bowl Me Over says
Awesome! I hope you really enjoy it Audrey - appreciate your support!
Bill Schlack says
My favorite soup at the Stone Soup Party.
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Bill - it was so good to see you both!
Laurie S says
P.s. I visited Crater Lake in the 70s on a family vacation. Would love to go back again.
Bowl Me Over says
I agree, so very amazing - what a wonderful National Park!
Laurie S says
Hi Debra. I discovered your blog from a comment you left at Chemistry Cachet. I am also from California -Hayward, a suburb of SF Bay Area. This tomato bisque soup looks delicious. I look forward to reading thru your blog and discovering other recipes. Have a great day!
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Laurie - heck we are practically neighbors then huh?!! Thanks so much - nice to meet you!! Have a fabulous day also.
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says
This soup is hitting me in my happy place. I love tomato soups. What lovely photos from your adventure. Pinning
Bowl Me Over says
Thanks Michelle!