Why I Love This Recipe

If you have a pile of fresh tomatoes sitting on your counter, this is what I want you to make with them. I used a mix of Sungold, cherry, and heirloom tomatoes, and roasting them first brings out SO much flavor. They get sweet and caramelized around the edges while the onion and whole garlic cloves roast right alongside them. Then everything gets blended with chicken stock, a little honey, heavy cream, and butter until it’s silky smooth. It’s simple enough that the fresh tomatoes really get to be the star, and honestly, a bowl of this with a grilled cheese on the side is pretty hard to beat.

Enjoying The Leftovers

This is one of those soups I’m very happy to see waiting for me in the fridge the next day. The tomato flavor gets even better after everything has had some time to sit together. Warm up a bowl for lunch and add fresh basil, cracked black pepper, and a little swirl of cream. And obviously, if you have bread for dipping, even better.

Storing

Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Leave a little room at the top of the container since the soup will expand as it freezes.

Reheating

Reheat the soup gently in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through. Try not to bring it to a hard boil once the cream has been added. For an individual serving, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one until hot.

A few tips before you start

Want an extra-smooth bisque?

  • For an extra-silky bisque, pour the soup through a fine-mesh strainer. This is especially nice with fresh tomatoes because it removes the skins and seeds.

Use a mix of tomatoes

  • You definitely don’t need three different varieties, but using a combination of tomatoes gives the soup a little more depth. Sungolds bring sweetness, cherry tomatoes have concentrated tomato flavor, and heirlooms add that juicy, fresh tomato taste

Don’t leave those sheet pan juices behind

  •   When you transfer the roasted vegetables to your pot, scrape in every last bit of juice from the sheet pan. That’s where so much of the concentrated roasted tomato flavor is hiding

Taste before adding more salt

  • The soup becomes more concentrated as it reduces, so wait until the cream and butter are incorporated before making your final seasoning adjustments
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Creamy Tomato Bisque

This is tomato soup when tomatoes are actually worth getting excited about. Roasting a mix of fresh tomatoes until they're caramelized concentrates all that sweet tomato flavor before everything gets simmered and blended until smooth. A little cream and butter at the end make it rich and silky without covering up the tomatoes. Add basil and a grilled cheese and you already know what to do.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
US M
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs fresh tomatoes, I used mix of Sungold, cherry + heirloom
  • 1 medium  yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Fresh basil, for serving
US – M

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Cut the heirloom tomatoes into large chunks. Leave the smaller cherry and Sungold tomatoes whole, halving any larger ones.
  • Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and season with 1 tsp each of salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
  • Roast for 45-60 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down and start to caramelize around the edges.
  • Transfer everything from the sheet pan, including all of the tomato juices, to a large pot.
  • Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered for 15-30 minutes, letting the tomatoes reduce slightly and the flavors concentrate. The longer you simmer and reduce it, the more concentrated the tomato flavor will become.
  • Add the chicken stock and honey. Using an immersion blender, blend until completely smooth. You can also carefully transfer the soup to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
  • Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream and butter until fully incorporated. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
  • Serve warm topped with fresh basil, cracked black pepper, and an extra swirl of heavy cream, if desired.

Equipment

large baking sheet
large pot
blender
cutting board
measuring cups

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Fiber: 3g