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Roasted Fresh Tomato Bisque

Tomato bisque made with roasted fresh seasonal tomatoes, finished off with a little cream and garden basil.  The perfect summer tomato soup!

Spoonful of tomato bisque hovering over bowl of soup.

I have had a bounty of fresh tomatoes all summer long, and into fall, from our local farm stand.  I've put up pints of tomato sauce and quarts for the freezer.  But guys, this Roasted Fresh Tomato Bisque is my fave right now.

I opted to roast the tomatoes first, adds great flavor and it softens them up a bit for the soup.  And fresh basil from my herb garden for an even more seasonal flavor profile. The roasted tomatoes are then simmered on the stovetop with onion, garlic, homemade chicken broth and then finished off with a touch of cream.

Bowl of soup and grilled cheese on the side.

What is the difference between tomato bisque and tomato soup?

Basically, the difference is heavy cream.  Tomato bisques are creamy and smooth and are usually made with chicken stock, tomatoes and cream.  Think creamy tomato soup, and I don't think you need much cream at all with seasonal summer tomatoes, just gilding the lily.

The tomatoes roast in the oven, but the rest of the bisque comes together in one pot with the help of an immersion blender, making this soup a fairly easy endeavor.

Bowl of tomato bisque with basil garnish.

Any fresh garden variety tomato works here, including heirlooms, or even a mix of varieties.  I decided to freeze some whole farm fresh tomatoes in August (yes, you can do that! See how to freeze whole tomatoes), so that's what I used.  And there's no need to peel the tomatoes, just cut in half and arrange on a baking sheet.

The soup is finished off with a touch of cream, I really don't think you need much, just a few tablespoons.  The result is the best homemade creamy fresh tomato bisque~ just needs a grilled cheddar cheese and apple sandwich for an amazing seasonal lunch or dinner.  Enjoy, Kelly🍴🐦

Tomato bisque with fresh basil and grilled cheese and apple sandwich.

If you need another idea for late season garden tomatoes and basil, you might like my Insalata Caprese with Basil Vinaigrette.

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Spoonful of tomato bisque hovering over bowl of soup.

Roasted Fresh Tomato Bisque

Homemade tomato soup using fresh roasted seasonal tomatoes and garden basil, finished off with a little cream.
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 178kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs fresh tomatoes (garden variety, heirlooms, or a mix)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ small sweet onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Pinch of sugar (maybe 1 tsp)
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 4 cups homemade chicken broth or stock
  • Several leaves fresh basil, about 1 tablespoon chopped, and chiffonade for serving
  • 3 tablespoon heavy cream
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut tomatoes in half and arrange on a baking sheet.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes.
  • Heat olive oil in heavy dutch oven or soup pot.  Add onion and cook until just translucent.  Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Stir in sugar and tomato paste and continue cooking another minute or so. 
  • Carefully add roasted tomatoes and their juices, stir and cook, breaking up tomatoes with wooden spoon.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add the chicken broth and bring to a steady simmer for another 5 minutes.  Stir in about 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped basil.  Carefully insert immersion blender into pot and process until smooth.
  • Taste for salt and pepper.  Stir in heavy cream and heat through.  Serve, topped with fresh basil and grilled cheese for dipping.

Recipe Notes

What is the difference between tomato bisque and tomato soup?

Basically, the difference is heavy cream.  Tomato bisques are creamy and smooth and are usually made with chicken stock, tomatoes and cream.  Think creamy tomato soup, and I don’t think you need much cream at all with seasonal summer tomatoes, just gilding the lily.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal Carbohydrates: 16g Protein: 5g Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 4g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 17mg Sodium: 953mg Potassium: 730mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 10g Vitamin A: 2182IU Vitamin C: 36mg Calcium: 55mg Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe? Please comment, rate it and share! And mention me on Instagram @thehungrybluebird or tag #thehungrybluebird so I can see!
 

Recipe Rating




Cathy Bingham

Friday 13th of October 2023

I made this soup and it is delicious. If I may make a suggestion to peel and core tomatoes before roasting. I had a huge mess to clean after they roasted and I peeled and cored them. I will do that before roasting. I also lost a lot of the tomato flesh doing it after roasting.

Moe

Monday 11th of September 2023

Soup was very good! I removed most of the skins after roasting, the other skins I used a immersion blender on. I had a small yellow pepper so I just added that, I will make this again!

John

Thursday 18th of November 2021

This soup is AMAZING!! I made it per the directions with 2 small tweaks. After the immersion blender I passed the soup thru a fine mesh strainer. I used quite a bit more cream than the recipe called for. Tip look up a recipe for inside out grilled cheese (allergies has a good one). That combined with this soup is sublime!!

Johnna Pack

Saturday 18th of September 2021

Could you freeze this soup?

Linda

Saturday 17th of September 2022

@Kelly, That's the answer I was looking for too. Delicious!

Kelly

Tuesday 21st of September 2021

Yes you can, Johnna.

HumbleFarmer

Wednesday 14th of October 2020

Fabulous! I used Roma's and roasted them on the smoker - skins and all and then ran them thru my Victorio strainer. This added a nice subtle smoky flavor to the soup.

Natalie Voegtlin

Tuesday 3rd of November 2020

@HumbleFarmer, do you remember how long and what temp you smoked them at??