Tomato Basil Bisque {made without heavy cream}
Tomato basil bisque is a creamy, comforting soup. The best tomato bisque I’ve ever had, and it’s a lightened-up version because this tomato bisque is made without heavy cream.
My friend, Keri, sent me this wonderful tomato bisque recipe. It’s a family favorite in their house. I love this lightened-up version of a traditionally cream-based soup. This tomato basil bisque is full of flavor, so you won’t even miss the heavy cream. Serve with a big hearty salad or loaf of crusty whole-grain bread. Delicious.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil- a good quality extra virgin olive oil recommended
- Onion- I used sweet Vidalia onion but yellow onion works here, too
- Carrots- peeled and sliced into small pieces
- Garlic- fresh garlic is a must for flavor!
- Canned Roma tomatoes- you’ll need two 28 oz cans of whole peeled Roma tomatoes. I highly recommend using San Marzano tomatoes for the best flavor. The flesh is sweeter and dense with fewer seeds with less acid.
- Chicken broth- go with a rich, flavorful, chicken broth or stock. I wouldn’t recommend bone broth since most store-bought bone broths lack both flavor and salt.
- Basil- fresh or dried basil works great in this recipe. I always grow basil in the summer and prefer fresh when available.
- Cayenne pepper- for a very mild kick. You can leave this out if you don’t like a little bit of heat.
- Coarse salt and pepper, to taste. The amount of salt needed depends on the saltiness of your broth or stock. Taste and adjust to your personal preference.
How To Make Tomato Basil Bisque without Cream
Step 1. Chop the tomatoes. Drain the tomatoes and coarsely chop.
Step 2. Saute veggies. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or large saucepan and add the onion and carrots. Cook until the onion is soft and opaque, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for one more minute.
Step 3. Simmer the soup. Add drained and chopped tomatoes, broth, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered until all veggies are tender, about 30-35 minutes.
Step 4. Purée soup. Use an immersion blender and puree to your desired consistency (I like to leave some texture to this soup). You can also puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. If you’re using a regular blender or food processor and want a bit of texture, you can blend half the soup and leave half chunky. If blending, return the pureed soup to the pot and warm it up to serving temperature.
Meal Planning Tip
Make this soup a day ahead and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Heat in a crockpot on warm to serve the next day. Delicious with freshly grated Parmesan and an ooey-gooey homemade grilled cheese. 😉
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Creamy Instant Pot Tortellini Soup
Italian Sausage Soup with Ravioli
Crockpot Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
Slowcooker Southern Ham Vegetable Soup
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Tomato Basil Bisque
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups yellow onion chopped. I used sweet vidalia onion
- 1 cup carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 56 oz canned whole Roma tomatoes I used two 28oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- Coarse salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp basil fresh or dried
Instructions
- Drain the tomatoes thoroughly and coarsely chop.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or large saucepan and add the onion and carrots. Cook until the onion is soft and opaque, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for one more minute.
- Add tomatoes, broth, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered until all veggies are tender, about 30-35 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender and puree to your desired consistency (I like to leave some texture to this soup). You can also puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. If you're using a regular blender or food processor and want a bit of texture, you can blend half the soup and leave half chunky. If blending, return the pureed soup to the pot and warm it up to serving temperature. Taste and add a bit more salt, if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
*This post has been updated from the original version published in 2011.
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This recipe is Fantastic! I was looking for a flavorful, non-cream/butter/flour based tomato bisque. This recipe Is awesome! I substituted Roma, Beefsteak, and Delicious tomatoes from our garden instead of canned. A smashing success! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the feedback Craig! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Yay for no heavy cream! I have a dairy allergy and usually have to miss out on tomato soup. This looks great
Hope you’ll try it Kelly! Thank you!
Oh how I LOOOVE tomato soup. This looks so inviting! Please stop by my blog when you can…there’s an award waiting for you there. =) Enjoy your weekend…we have snow. http://www.thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-love-getting-and-giving-awards.html
Thank you, Angie:)
Mmmmm I think we will have to try this one. Looks super fabulous!