Tomato Bisque Soup

Tomato Bisque Soup uses pantry ingredients for an easy and flavorful weeknight meal! Smokey, savory and so delicious, it’s packed with vegetables and layers of flavor. A quick 30-minute meal, it’s perfect for lunch or dinner! This post has been updated from November 3, 2015 to improve reader experience.

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Tomato Bisque Recipe is a rich hearty soup.

Tomato Bisque Recipe

You know I love a great bowl of soup, like Cream of Cauliflower Soup or my award winning Cheeseburger Soup! Well the inspiration for 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!

One of the first things was an amazing view of Mount Shasta. Although it’s a beautiful view, those of us from the area know the mountains are so desperately in need of snow, it’s frightening. Here’s hoping we’ll get good snow and rain this winter!

Fun photos from our trip to Bend, OR

Once we got to Bend, we met my folks – they drove over from the Portland area and we got to enjoy a couple days of fun and adventure!

One of the places we went was Pilot Butte in Bend. 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 their breweries. Dan and I spent some time at a couple (well more than a couple…). Super fun because everything was in walking distance of our hotel!

When you’re in Bend, be sure to do some beer tasting!

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!

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One meal I really enjoyed was a delicious cup of soup from a small family restaurant. It was so flavorful and delicious I knew I had to replicate it at home!

Easy and delicious Tomato Bisque takes just over 30 minutes to make. The chipotle chili adds a warm delicious spice, earthy flavor comes from the goat cheese and smokiness from the paprika. So many flavors that taste absolutely AMAZING together!

Tomato Bisque Soup

What makes tomato bisque?

A bisque is a soup that often contains cream. It’s pureed until smooth, luscious and creamy!

What is the difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque?

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.

Is tomato bisque good for you?

Well, I can’t speak for all recipes, but my recipe definitely is! It’s full of vegetables – tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, carrots and celery. You can even eliminate the cream and cheese if you choose. This will not compromise the flavor!

Want all of my tips and tricks to make the BEST Soups and Stews, click here for your FREE guide!

Grocery list for Tomato Bisque

• crushed tomatoes
• fire roasted tomatoes
• tomato paste
• red and green bell pepper
• carrots
• celery
• garlic
• smoked paprika
• chipotle pepper
• dried Italian herbs
• salt, pepper
• flour
• vegetable or chicken stock
• half and half
• goat cheese
• butter, olive oil

This Tomato Bisque is creamy and hearty, but full of vegetables for a great balanced meal.

Tomato Bisque

Steps to make Tomato Bisque Recipe

1. Chop the vegetables and mince the garlic.
2. Heat a large stockpot over medium heat with the butter and olive oil. 
3. When hot & bubbly, add the onions, peppers, carrots and celery and sauté. Add the seasonings and continue sautéing for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and tomato paste, stir to combine. Add the flour, stir well. Cook for a couple of minutes.
5. 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. 
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. 
7. After 20 minutes, crumble in the goat cheese and stir until it melts through.
8. Remove from the heat. Blend until smooth and creamy.
9. Lastly, add the milk and stir until combined. Heat through, do not bring to a boil

When this soup is complete, remove a quart and tuck it into the freezer for those days when you don’t feel like cooking. It freezes GREAT, up to six months. For more tips and tricks – click here for Homemade Soup; A Complete Guide!

Pro Tip!

What do you do when you open a can of chipotle peppers or tomato paste and only need a tablespoon? Freeze the remaining. Seperate the peppers into small plastic bags and serve them individually. Seperate the tomato paste by 1 tablespoon increments. Both freeze well and are easily portioned out for future use.

More GREAT soup recipes I know you’ll love! 

• Turkey Chowder with Corn
• Loaded Potato Soup
• Lobster Bisque
• Best Clam Chowder Recipe
• Green Chili Chicken Posole
• Chicken Soup Instant Pot Recipe
• Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Hope you enjoyed the pictures from our road trip! Now let’s get to cooking this amazing Tomato Bisque!!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Tomato Bisque Soup

What to make on a busy weeknight? Tomato Bisque Soup is easy & soo flavorful! Yummy too with just a hint of spice. Leftovers freeze great!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Soups and Stews

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 270kcal

Author: Souper Chef Deb from Bowl Me Over

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 chopped, each
• 2 carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 chipotle pepper minced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 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.
• Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the butter & olive oil. When hot & bubbly add the 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 is combined. Heat thru, do not bring to a boil

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 945mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 101.4% | Vitamin C: 53.1% | Calcium: 14.5% | Iron: 15.5%