Brimming with summer’s ripe tomatoes and fragrant basil from your garden, Sweet Daddy D’s no-angst Tomato Basil Bisque transforms simple ingredients into a creamy, restaurant-quality delight. So delicious, you’ll want to freeze a big batch!
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Why You'll Love This Tomato Basil Bisque
- Sophisticated Yet Simple: This recipe's use of Dry Vermouth and Nutmeg gives it a restaurant-quality vibe, but the instructions and ingredients are simple for any level of cook.
- Vibrant Tomato and Basil Flavor: Whole tomatoes, paste, and puree produce a very tomato-forward flavor profile, balanced by the bright, herbaceous notes of fresh basil.
- Customizable Heat and Consistency: You control how much heat with the amount of cayenne and Creole seasoning you use, as well as the consistency and thickness: more liquid for thinner soup, more simmering for thicker soup.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This recipe can be made a day in advance and set in the fridge until you are ready to serve. The bonus: the flavors continue to deepen over time, so it will taste even better tomorrow!
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Here’s What You Need
These are the key ingredients used in this recipe. A complete list, with quantities, is included in the printable recipe card at the end of this article.
Ingredient Notes
- Tomatoes: Flavor and consistency come from using three forms of tomatoes-whole, puree, and paste.
- Mirepoix: This recipe uses the French-inspired mirepoix (yellow onions, celery, and carrots), providing a foundational savory-sweet flavor base, enhancing depth, and balancing the tomatoes' acidity.
- Stock: Chicken stock adds depth to the flavor profile while not overpowering any other ingredient. Have extra stock on hand in case you need to thin the bisque.
- Dry Vermouth: This fortified wine adds a bright, herbaceous acidity that enhances the tomatoes' flavor and balances the richness of the butter and cream.
- Fresh Basil: infuses a vibrant, aromatic flavor that complements the tomatoes and adds a fresh, herbaceous note.
- Herbs and Spices: Cayenne is an adjustable seasoning that pairs well with tomatoes and can add increasing levels of heat at your discretion. Dry herbs infuse subtle background depth as they rehydrate while simmering. The nutmeg offers a warm, slightly sweet note that adds depth and a comforting vibe to the bisque.
- Creole Seasoning: This recipe was developed using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, an all-purpose Creole and Cajun seasoning that contains no salt or MSG. If you use a seasoning that contains salt, make sure to taste the bisque before adding more.
- Other sources of Salt: Butter and stock are potential sources of salt. Check the label of the tomato cans to check their salt level.
Substitutions
Substituting ingredients is sometimes desirable or necessary, but keep in mind that any substitution may impact the flavor profile, cooking time, or nutrition.
- Tomatoes: Canned whole tomatoes ensure consistent flavor, ripeness, and convenience in this bisque. Diced tomatoes work, but lack the ideal texture. Substitute fresh tomatoes if very ripe. Peel and deseed fresh tomatoes, and add 5–10 minutes of simmering and extra stock if needed.
- Tomato Puree: Substitute tomato sauce for the puree.
- Stock: Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock.
- Dry Vermouth: Substitute the same quantity of a dry white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis. A non-alcoholic option is white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (mix 1 Tablespoon with 2 tablespoons of water plus a pinch of sugar to replace the sweet note in Vermouth).
- Nutmeg: Substitute ground cinnamon or allspice, or leave it out altogether.
Cookware
I like to make this recipe in a Dutch oven with a heavy lid, but a stockpot would work just as well. My immersion blender comes in handy to smooth out this bisque.
Hints and Tips (FAQ)
Crushing whole tomatoes by hand before adding them to your Tomato Basil Bisque breaks them into smaller, rustic pieces, allowing their juices to meld quickly with other ingredients during the 8-minute simmer, ensuring a consistent flavor and smooth texture in the pureed soup while preserving their natural character without over-processing.
Use a blender, food processor, or a potato masher.
For vegetarians, swap chicken stock for vegetable stock. For vegans, use vegetable stock, replace butter with olive oil or vegan butter, and substitute heavy cream with coconut milk or cashew cream. Note that coconut milk may add a slight coconut flavor.
Here’s What You Do
First...you have a beer. Start your recipe prep with a relaxing sip of beer and read the recipe from start to finish. This will help you understand what ingredients and equipment you’ll need and how you’ll use them. Then, set up your mise en place - prepping each ingredient, like chopping onions or measuring spices - for a seamless, no-angst cooking experience!
Mise En Place
No-angst cooking starts with Mise En Place! Prep and measure all your ingredients before you start. This way, most of the work is done, and you can easily focus on cooking!
- Drain the canned tomatoes through a strainer set over a bowl.
- Finely chop the yellow onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.
- Place the onions in one container, the celery and carrots in another, and the garlic in a third. This coincides with how you add the ingredients to the Dutch oven. The fine chop fosters a faster release of flavor during simmering.
- Combine the Herb and Spice ingredients in a small bowl.
- Measure the tomato paste, Vermouth, tomato puree, and chicken stock into prep containers.
Lagniappe Tip for Chopping Fresh Basil:
- Use a very sharp knife so you don't crush the leaves.
- Snip off the stem from a leaf of basil (optional), then flatten the leaves and stack them on top of each other until you have a stack of about 10 or 15 leaves.
- Roll the stack of leaves lengthwise into a tube.
- Start on the tip and slice across the tube. This will give you a chiffonade cut.
- When you unroll the slices, the basil will be in thin strips.
- These strips can be further chopped into finer pieces.
- You should not slice the basil too far in advance of using it.
- Measure the fresh basil by loosely filling a one-cup measuring cup (don't pack it!)
Build the Flavor Foundation
What happens in this step? The flavor foundation starts by slowly cooking a vegetable base with aromatics and tomato paste.
Lagniappe Tip: Sauteeing the tomato paste helps heighten its flavor and adds richness to the recipe. Stir constantly while you sauté so the sugars in the paste don't burn.
Create the Bisque
What happens in this step? On top of the flavor base we just created, we will turn this into a bisque by simmering tomatoes and herbs in stock
Lagniappe Tip: Crush the tomatoes by hand as you add them to the Dutch oven, or use a potato masher or wooden spoon afterward. This breaks them into small chunks, helping their juices blend quickly with the mirepoix, vermouth, and tomato puree for a smooth, flavorful bisque.
Lagniappe Tip: You'll have some of the Herb and Spice Blend leftover after Step 8. Reserve this for seasoning adjustments at the end of the recipe. You should also have some additional chicken stock to thin the bisque later, if needed.
Finish The Bisque
What happens in this step? The bisque will be finished by pureeing the ingredients, adding cream, and adjusting the seasonings and thickness.
Lagniappe Tip: This bisque can be somewhat thick, which is how many people enjoy Tomato Basil Bisque. If you prefer a thinner bisque, add more chicken stock until you reach the consistency you desire.
Serving Suggestions
Tomato Basil Bisque is ready to serve as soon as it's finished, but benefits from some time in the fridge. It's one of those recipes that's "better the next day", so that sounds good for leftovers.
- Make sure your bisque is the consistency you want. Add more stock if you want to thin it out.
- This bisque is perfect as an appetizer or starter, but is hearty enough to carry the meal as a main dish.
- It's great with seasoned croutons or garlic bread.
- Add a crisp, green salad (like this Sensation Salad) and the common sidekick, a grilled cheese sandwich.
- This Tomato Basil Bisque is also great served chilled-just let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.
- It makes a great part of a cool, summertime offering of cold salads, headlined by Chicken Salad and marinated veggies.
Here are some other soups and bisques from Sweet Daddy D's Kitchen:
Leftover Tips
Tomato Basil Bisque only gets better with time.
Lagniappe Tip: You can make this in advance and hold it in the fridge (1 or 2 days) or the freezer. If you go the freezer route, hold off on adding the heavy cream until you are warming it to serve.
Here are some tips on how to store your Bisque:
- Allow the Bisque to cool within 2 hours of cooking.
- Use air-tight containers with tight lids.
- If freezing, make sure the containers are freezer-safe.
- Use portion-size containers so that only the amount you want can be defrosted and reheated.
- Refrigerator: The bisque will maintain its quality for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: The Bisque will maintain its quality for up to 3 months.
To reheat:
- Use a saucepan over medium-low heat to reheat slowly.
- You can reheat this in the microwave, using short 1-minute blasts until heated.
- The cream in this recipe may separate during freezing, but it should come back together is stirred while reheating.
- Add stock or water if the Bisque has thickened during storage.
Lagniappe Tip: Discard the leftover bisque if the smell is off, it has a sour taste, or it has mold.
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Recipe
Tomato Basil Bisque
Here's What You Need
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter divided
- 2 cups yellow onions
- 1 cup celery sliced
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- ½ cup Dry Vermouth
- 15 ounces tomato puree
- 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes Drained-reserve liquid
- 4 cups Chicken Stock See Notes
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg grated, optional
- 2 tablespoon Sugar optional
Fresh Herbs
- 1 cup fresh basil chopped, plus some as a garnish
Herb and Spice Blend
- 1 ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dry Basil
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon White Pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 Bay leaf
Here's What You Do
- Place a Dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter.
- Add the yellow onions; saute until they start to turn translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add carrots and celery, and saute for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and half the Herb and Spice Blend (less Bay Leaf); saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Increase the heat; add the Vermouth and mix well; simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the tomato puree and drained whole tomatoes, roughly crushing the tomatoes by hand as you add them. Reserve the liquid from draining the tomatoes.
- As soon as the tomatoes are mixed in, add half the Fresh Basil and the Bay Leaf; simmer for 8 minutes.
- Rinse out the tomato cans with some Chicken Stock, then add all the stock. Bring it to a heavy simmer.
- Reduce the heat, cover the Dutch oven; maintain a low simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, add the remaining fresh basil; continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes, covered.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and puree with an immersion blender or a blender until smooth.
- Return the Dutch oven to a simmer (medium heat). Add the heavy cream and 1 Tablespoon of butter. Gently stir until the cream has been incorporated and the butter has melted. Simmer slightly, uncovered, for about 5-10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning as needed; if the bisque is too thick, add reserved chicken stock and/or tomato juice to thin; add sugar (if desired), salt, or cayenne, if needed. (See Notes)
- Grate about ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg onto the bisque and mix well. Serve with Croutons and garnish with fresh chopped basil to serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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Sweet Daddy D
You'll love this recipe!