This is the most flavorful tomato soup ever! My tomato basil bisque is made with oven roasted tomatoes and roasted garlic for incredible flavor depth.
You’ll love how smooth and creamy it is. Pair it with a simple grilled cheese, your favorite sandwich, or a simple salad. It’s also freezer-friendly, so definitely make a big batch!
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this creamy tomato basil bisque already. It’s my husband’s favorite soup, and he’s not even a soup person! We love it as much this Tomato Tortellini Soup.
This recipe has two key steps that make the soup especially rich and flavorful. First, roasting the tomatoes enhances their natural sweetness. Second, roasting a whole garlic head for depth of flavor.
For the times we want to keep it simple, it’s always tomato basil bisque and grilled cheese night. But when we want something fancier, my Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese it is!
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Texture. This tomato basil bisque is so smooth and creamy!
- SO much flavor! Roasting tomatoes and a head of garlic are the secrets.
- Make it ahead. It tastes even better the next day.
- It freezes really well too! So make a big batch.
Ingredient Notes
Below are a few kitchen notes on the ingredients that I hope you find helpful when shopping.
- Roma tomatoes: When roasted, their flavors intensify, adding a nice touch of sweetness to the soup. You can also use regular large tomatoes.
- A whole head of garlic: We’ll roast an entire head of garlic, and then squeeze out the roasted cloves into the soup. It’s an incredible flavor booster!
- Onions, fresh thyme and Italian seasoning: The aromatics!
- Canned diced tomatoes: To give the tomato soup an extra boost in color and texture. Most of the flavor comes from the roasted roma tomatoes.
- Fresh basil: For aromatic and fresh flavors.
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth, serves as the liquid base.
- Heavy cream: To add creaminess and a touch of comfort! Half-and-half works too, but the tomato bisque will have a thinner consistency.
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper
You can find the detailed ingredient list in the recipe card down below.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
This tomato basil bisque is very easy to make. Let me show you how!
Step 1 | Roast tomatoes and garlic
Roasting tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness and intensifies flavors, even when they are not in season. It removes excess moisture and caramelizes the edges.
For the tomatoes: Arrange halved tomatoes cut side up on a large sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper. Don’t overcrowd, use two pans if needed to avoid steaming.
For the garlic: Slice ¼ inch off the top of a whole garlic head. Place on foil, drizzle with olive oil, and season generously. Wrap tightly and place on the pan with the tomatoes.
Roast: Roast everything at 425°F for about 30-40 minutes.
Step 2 | Sauté aromatics
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Sauté onions for 6 to 8 minutes until softened, then add dried herbs and cook 2 more minutes until fragrant. This is the flavor base of the soup.
Step 3 | Add everything else and blend
Add broth, the roasted roma tomatoes, the roasted garlic cloves only (squeeze them out and discard the rest), fresh basil, and the canned diced tomatoes with all its juices.
Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes with the lid partially covered, stirring occasionally. Then, using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and evenly combined.
Tip: If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular countertop blender. Do it in parts, as hot liquids tend to expand in the blender.
Step 4 | Make it creamy
Stir in heavy cream to taste. Finally, add some granulated sugar to cut through the acidity of tomatoes. For garnish, add a drizzle of cream and olive oil, and top with fresh basil. You can also serve with grilled cheese croutons to change it up!
Tips for Success
- Roma tomatoes are best, but you can also use regular large tomatoes.
- Don’t overcrowd the sheet pan when roasting tomatoes, otherwise they will steam and not roast. If needed, use two sheet pans.
- Garlic needs closer to 40 minutes to roast. Don’t rush this process.
- I’d highly recommend using an immersion blender. A countertop blender will work too, but it’s not easy or safe to transfer hot liquids to a blender.
- Instead of heavy cream, you can use half-and-half too, but it will be thinner in consistency.
Make Ahead and Freezing
Make ahead: Make the tomato basil bisque as directed and let cool completely. Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat it in the microwave oven or over the stovetop. The soup may thicken a little bit overnight, so just add some broth or half-and-half or broth when reheating.
Freezing: If freezing, don’t add the heavy cream since dairy doesn’t keep well in the fridge. You can add it at the end once it’s been reheated. To reheat, either thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring back to a simmer over the stovetop, or reheat directly from frozen in a pot.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but do it in batches. Be careful since hot liquids tend to expand in the blender. I’d highly recommend using an immersion blender though, it’s so much easier to use and minimizes spills.
Yes! You can use regular large tomatoes or anything that is in season.
No need! The seeds will soften as they roast in the oven, and won’t affect the texture of taste of the soup.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
Most days, I’m happy with a bowl of this creamy tomato bisque and a classic grilled cheese. But when I’m feeling fancy, I go for a delicious Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese!
If you need a more substantial sandwich, try my Avocado BLT Sandwich or a Roasted Vegetable Sandwich. For something lighter, turn my Avocado Tuna Salad and Green Goddess Chicken Salad into sandwiches to pair with the tomato bisque.
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Tomato Basil Bisque
Equipment
- 6-quart Dutch oven or a large pot
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic - unpeeled
- 3 pounds roma tomatoes - halved lengthwise (from top to bottom)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth - plus more as needed
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes - with all its juices
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves - packed
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar - plus more as needed
- 1 cup heavy cream - to taste, or half-and-half
Instructions
Roast garlic and tomatoes
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut off ¼ inch of the head of garlic from the top. Place garlic on top of aluminum foil and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Fold up the foil and seal. Set aside.
- On a large sheet pan, drizzle roma tomatoes with olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Arrange tomatoes flat side up, without overcrowding. Tip: use 2 sheet pans if needed, as overcrowding will lead to steaming and not roasting.
- Place the prepared garlic head on the same sheet pan along with the tomatoes. Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping the tomatoes halfway through. Set aside. Note: The tomatoes need 30 minutes. The roasted garlic needs closer to 40 minutes.
Make the soup
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add thyme and Italian seasoning and cook until fragrant, 1-2 more minutes.
- Stir in broth, then add the roasted tomatoes, the canned diced tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves. Next, squeeze out the garlic cloves only and add it into the soup (discard the rest).
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer with the lid partially covered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.
- Stir in the granulated sugar. This balances out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Stir in heavy cream to taste, and simmer for another 1 minute until incorporated. Garnish as desired and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes work best, but large regular tomatoes are fine too, although you may need fewer due to their size.
- Roasting tip: Don’t overcrowd the sheet pan, otherwise the tomatoes will steam instead of roast. Use two pans if necessary.
- Blending: An immersion blender is ideal. If using a countertop blender, be very careful when handling hot liquids.
- Cream substitute: Half-and-half can be used instead.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the bisque as directed and let it cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir in a bit of broth or half-and-half to loosen it.
- Freezing: Omit the heavy cream before freezing, as dairy doesn’t freeze well. Add it after reheating. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and simmer on the stove, or heat straight from frozen in a pot.
- Roasted garlic: Not a huge fan of garlic? That’s totally fine – skip the roasted garlic, and sauté some minced garlic along with the diced onions instead.
- Fresh thyme: Dried thyme, use ⅓ teaspoon dried instead of 1 teaspoon fresh.
M. Reinhardt says
I made this soup tonight for dinner. I did add shallots to the roasting pan but still cooked onions in the pot as directed. The bisque was delicious — and like many others who have left comments, I have a favorite bisque at a local cafe and this recipe delivered same or better results! I served the soup with grilled cheese sandwhiches…and the hubby was very happy. Thank you! I’m going to freeze a pint of the left-overs for another meal.
Lilly Houg says
Havent tried yet, but when you add the cream to the tomatoes does not curdle the soup, this has happened to me before.
Katya Healey-Wolf says
Fantastic! Thank you. Used vine ripe tomatoes (not a big fan of Roma and they were perfect. Used double the garlic…I think next time I might do 4 heads. I LOVE garlic. Overall- a truly fantastic recipe!
Pamela Minkley says
I made this for the first time today. We have a local restaurant that serves Tomato Bisque Soup we love and this recipe was equal or better!!!!
I love caramelized tomatoes so I cut used 3 lbs of Roma tomatoes and sliced them in thirds so they would roast and caramelize better. They turned out drier than cutting them in half so my bisque was quite hardy before adding the cream. It tasted great and had some texture since I didn’t blend it till completely smooth so I left it at that and didn’t add the cream. Wonderful taste, texture and aroma!
One hint I would suggest is to chop the Basil before adding it. I think it would blend better. However, I have a really old immersion blender and that might have been the issue. All in all, this is one of the best soups I have made. Thank you for posting it.
Jude says
This recipe was just wonderful! I love the basil addition and this soup truly is a bisque- thick with nice hearty texture. The roasting of the tomatoes with the garlic is a great touch and using the immersion blender at the end saves on clean up! Thank you! I’ve made this twice now – with grilled cheese and then with sourdough rolls and the troops are saying “more please”! Great addition to my soup collection- I’ll be back for more!
Kim Hutchins says
This is a great recipe and one I will use often.
Michelle Mellen says
Thanks for this great recipe!
Tania says
Thank you for trying my recipe, Michelle!
Maria L. says
I made this today for Thanksgiving! With homemade garlic ranch bread sticks. It was really good! I am very particular about my tomato soup. Most of them taste like Marinara sauce waterd down with broth. This actually rivals a local home town restaurant ‘s tomato bisque soup. We used the garlic sticks to dip into the soup. It made quite a bit. Will have to freeze the rest for a later date. It was more than enough for 3 people. I would say it would serve at least 6 big bowls.