This tomato basil bisque is a rich soup that’s filled with the perfect combination of some of our favorite vegetables, making it a perfect dinner option for a busy knight.
The soup is topped with grated fresh parmesan and croutons in proper amounts. The soup is perfect for summertime, especially on a rainy day.
You can enjoy the soup alone or in the company of family and friends. It also serves well when it comes to cheering a friend that is down and needs some upliftment.
What is Tomato Basil Bisque?
The soup is made from a combination of parmesan, cream, basil, garlic, and onions.
While these ingredients may seem unlikely, the nutty flavor of the parmesan cheese, and the sweet acidity of tomatoes, onions, and celery make the soup an excellent taste whenever it hits the taste bud.
Another reason why this soup is famous is that it is effortless to make at home.
Origin of Tomato Basil Bisque
It is impossible to perfectly understand the history of the tomato basil bisque without knowing the origin of the tomato soup, which is the forerunner of the dish.
While tomato is native to Mexico and other parts of South America, there is no traceable evidence to show that tomato soup originated from the region.
Instead, the earliest form of tomato soup was the form of Gazpacho, which is the Spanish tomato soup. This soup originated in southern Spain in a region known as Andalucia. The soup was so popular that it made its way into Portugal, where locals referred to it as gazpacho.
However, the first mention of the soup was by Eliza Leslie, who mentioned it in her 1857’s New Cookery Book.
The popularity of the soup came to a head in 1897 when John Campbell found the Campbell Soup Company that oversaw the invention of condensed tomato soup.
Despite this history, an ironic turn of events showed that the tomato basil bisque originated in France.
Bisque is a French word, and it refers to a soup made from broth strained from crustaceans such as shrimps, lobsters, crabs, and crayfish. This broth is usually creamy and seasoned.
Ingredients Used for Making Tomato Basil Bisque
The following are some of the ingredients needed to make this dish. The full list of ingredients is listed in the recipe card below.
Tomatoes: From the name of the dish, it is easy to assume that you will need tomatoes for this dish. The best types of tomatoes to use for this dish are the peeled and deseeded Roma Tomatoes or the meaty heirloom.
Now, you can use cherry tomatoes too, but because of their small size, it is difficult to peel and seed them. The failure to peel and seed the tomatoes affects the creaminess, an essential feature of the tomato basil bisque.
Peeling the tomatoes is easy after blanching them. However, it is not necessary. If you choose to peel the tomatoes, we recommend you blanch them first.
To blanch the tomatoes, you need to heat them and bring them to cool almost immediately.
You will need boiling water and a bowl of cold or iced water. Start by creating an “X” at the base of the tomato, put the tomatoes into the hot water for about 60 seconds, then proceed to place it inside the cold water for a minute or two.
Once you remove the tomatoes, the skin should come off quickly.
To seed the tomatoes, cut them open in half and scoop out the seeds from inside the tomatoes.
Basil – This is another vital ingredient. It is advisable to go for fresh basil, but if you cannot get fresh basil, dried basil also works. However, you should be wary of using too much as dried basil has concentrated flavors.
Stock or Broth – This adds a new flavor to the soup and makes it even more delicious. You can use homemade or store-bought stock.
It is important to mention that it is better to use chicken stock than chicken broth. This is because the flavor in broth is not as strong as in stock.
Also, if you are a vegetarian, you can easily substitute this with vegetable stock.
Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan cheese is another important ingredient needed for the tomato basil bisque to turn out great.
The cheese originated in Italy and is a product of cow milk. It comes with an unbeatable flavor, and it is advisable to use the cheese when it is freshly grated.
If you cannot find this type of cheese, you can opt for fontina or gruyere cheese, as both kinds of cheese combine perfectly with the ingredients used for this dish.
Olive Oil – You will also need olive oil to ensure that the tomato basil bisque comes out great.
Extra virgin olive oil is the best type of olive oil used for this dish. However, if you cannot find this, you can substitute it with avocado oil.
A tablespoon of avocado oil adds some exciting flavor to the dish.
Cream – To increase the creaminess, you may need to use a cream for the tomato basil bisque. While you can use heavy cream, it is advisable to use Half and Half or half cream for people in the UK.
This option has fewer calories and works perfectly well. You can use homemade cashew milk as a substitute if you are a vegetarian.
Onion – To get the best flavor for the dish, use the Vidalia variety or another sweet onion flavor.
Garlic – This is another ingredient that helps you turn up the dish’s flavor. For best results, go for roasted garlic.
Other ingredients in this dish include salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.
How To Make This Bisque
In a cookie sheet or sheet pan, add the tomatoes, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and lightly season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.
Bake at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes but no more than 25 minutes.
Using a high-quality blender, transfer the roasted vegetables along with the juice to the blender. Blend well to combine. Then add the Fresh Basil (with the stem), and blend well.
In a large Dutch oven or large pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the tomato paste. Use your spoon to break the tomato paste down and deglaze it with about ¼ cup of vegetable broth and stir the tomato paste to avoid sticking. Slowly add the blended tomato mixture and the rest of the vegetable broth.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and add in the heavy cream. Stir well to combine. Allow rapid simmer on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes.
Stir occasionally to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan.
Serve hot and enjoy with grilled cheese or seasoned croutons.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Tomato basil and tomato bisque are very similar. The only difference is that one has basil and the other does not.
A bisque is thicker and richer than a normal soup. Sometimes, bisque can include chunks of seafood meat such as crabs, lobster, and shrimp. A soup is thinner and is often clear with poultry.
Depending on who you ask, some do not consider tomato bisque as bisque because it does not include seafood.
Rice is the most used ingredient to thicken bisques. The starch will make the soup both creamy and thick, it also makes it silky
What Does Tomato Basil Bisque Go With?
Because the tomato basil bisque is a soup, it is best enjoyed with certain dishes. Some of these dishes include.
- Grilled Cheese
- Loaded Iceberg Wedged Salad
- Sour Cream
- Caesar Salad
Storage and Reheating
You can store the tomato basil bisque in a refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Using a freezer is your best bet if you plan on storing it for a long time.
To freeze the dish, keep the cream and parmesan cheese out. This is because they will make the soup curdle during reheating.
More Tomato Soup Recipes You’ll Love
After trying this tomato basil bisque recipe, consider trying this Classic tomato bisque. This Ghanaian tomato stew, this tomato soup, and this carrot tomato soup recipe.
It warms our hearts to see the recipes you make from this site, and we’d especially love to know if you tried this recipe.
Tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see your beautiful dish.
Also, we would appreciate it if could give it a star rating below!
Tomato Basil Bisque Recipe
Equipment
- Large pan or Dutch oven
- Baking Sheet
- Blender
Ingredients
- 8 Roma Tomatoes; cut in half
- 1 Carrot peeled and roughly chopped.
- 1 Medium Onion cut in Quarter
- 3 Ribs Celery; or 3 large celery sticks. Roughly Chopped
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 4 Tbsp. Olive Oil; divided
- 4 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
- 4 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1 Oz Fresh Basil
- 2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 Tsp. Salt; or to taste
- 1 Tsp. Freshly cracked ground pepper; or to taste
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.In a cookie sheet or sheet pan, add the tomatoes, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and lightly season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes but no more than 25 minutes.Using a high-quality blender, transfer the roasted vegetables along with the juice to the blender. Blend well to combine. Then add the Fresh Basil (with the stem), and blend well.
- In a large Dutch oven or large pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.Add the tomato paste. Use your spoon to break the tomato paste down and deglaze it with about ¼ cup of vegetable broth and stir the tomato paste to avoid sticking. Slowly add the blended tomato mixture and the rest of the vegetable broth.Season with salt and pepper to taste and add in the heavy cream. Stir well to combine. Allow rapid simmer on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan.Serve hot and enjoy with grilled cheese or seasoned croutons.
Naz
Very tasty but the celery left stringy bits. I would omit the celery next time and add another carrot.
Thanks for the recipe!