Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque Soup | Ready in 35 Minutes
A beloved classic, this comforting and flavorful tomato basil bisque soup showcases the timeless pairing of tomatoes and basil in a creamy, velvety base.
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 341kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 16 ounces chicken broth
- 14 ounces crushed, canned, San Marzano tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon red chili pepper to taste
- ½ cup cooked rice
- ½ teaspoon white sugar to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream and more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and celery to the hot oil. Sauté until the onions become translucent but not brown - about 5 -8 minutes.
- Pour the chicken broth, canned tomatoes, paprika, black pepper, and red chili powder into the onion mixture. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked rice and continue to simmer - about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot until smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can also use a regular blender or food processor. You might need to blend in stages if your blender or food processor is not large enough.
- Add the heavy cream, salt and sugar. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If the pureed soup is too thick, add more broth; if tooth in, cook, stirring often, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. For the best results, make the creamy tomato bisque a day ahead and refrigerate. To serve, ladle this simple soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with a drizzle of cream and fresh, chopped basil.
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Notes
- Make the soup the day before for maximum flavor. Allowing the soup to sit for a day allows the flavors to meld and intensify. The extra time allows the various ingredients to harmonize resulting in a more well-rounded flavor profile.
- Add tomato paste to intensify the tomato flavor. Tomato paste intensifies the tomato flavor by providing concentrated, umami-rich notes, adding deeper flavor through caramelization, and enhancing thickness and body. Additionally, it helps balance the natural acidity of tomatoes, resulting in a more robust and well-rounded flavor profile.
- Use a regular blender if you don't have an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, blend the soup in stages with a regular blender so that the blender is filled a little more than half-way.
- Strain for ultra smooth soup. Strain the tomato base in Step Two through a fine mesh strainer before proceeding to Step Three.
- Add a pinch of sugar to brighten the flavors. If the soup tastes a little dull, add a pinch of sugar to brighten the flavors.
- Thicken the soup with extra rice or a sweet potato. Add half a baked sweet potato or another handful of rice to the soup if you want to make it thicker. It also adds a subtle sweetness, adding to the hearty flavors of the soup.
- Use baking soda to counteract bitterness. Sometimes fresh tomatoes can leave a slight bitter taste. Adding a pinch of baking soda will counteract the bitterness.