Creamy Tomato Bisque with Basil (Printable)

A smooth, velvety tomato soup enriched with cream and fresh basil.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
05 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
06 - 2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes with juice
07 - 1 cup vegetable broth

→ Dairy & Cream

08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

→ Herbs & Seasoning

10 - 1 teaspoon sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
12 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrot, and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a simmer.
03 - Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in fresh basil leaves.
05 - Blend soup using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender until smooth.
06 - Return pureed soup to low heat. Stir in heavy cream and optional Parmesan cheese. Heat gently for 2 to 3 minutes without boiling.
07 - Taste and modify seasoning as needed. Serve hot garnished with extra fresh basil leaves.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, which means you can have something restaurant-worthy on the table without the stress.
  • Fresh basil and cream make it taste elegant, but the ingredient list is short enough that you probably have everything already.
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes even better as leftovers, so you can make it ahead and actually enjoy your day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of cooking tomato paste in the butter for a minute—I learned this the hard way when I rushed, and the difference was noticeable.
  • The immersion blender changes everything; the soup becomes exponentially silkier and more refined than any other method.
  • Temperature control in the final step is non-negotiable—cream on high heat breaks, and you'll lose that velvety magic.
03 -
  • Make this soup the day before if you can—it actually tastes better after the flavors have settled overnight in the refrigerator.
  • An immersion blender is worth its weight in gold for this recipe, creating a smoothness that feels almost impossible to achieve any other way.

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