You don't need a whole basket of vine-ripened tomatoes to make a delicious tomato bisque. We're going to use canned tomatoes. Rice makes this soup silky, not starchy.
I really enjoyed this soup. Nice texture and good flavor. I didn't have fresh basil, so I added some dried basil and let it simmer with everything else. Also, I used 2% milk instead of cream and was very happy with the results. Thanks Chef John!
Read MoreReally had to "skinny" this down. I used lots of carrots which naturally sweetens then put it thru a food mill. I also use fat free half and half when ever I can instead of heavy cream. Didn't add the rice as the carrots help to give it a thicker consistency. I add very little garlic.
Read MoreI really enjoyed this soup. Nice texture and good flavor. I didn't have fresh basil, so I added some dried basil and let it simmer with everything else. Also, I used 2% milk instead of cream and was very happy with the results. Thanks Chef John!
Really had to "skinny" this down. I used lots of carrots which naturally sweetens then put it thru a food mill. I also use fat free half and half when ever I can instead of heavy cream. Didn't add the rice as the carrots help to give it a thicker consistency. I add very little garlic.
This soup recipe is a keeper! The rice made it beautifully silky and gave it a great mouth-feel. Tasted better the next day. I used a leek from our local farmer's market in leu of onion. I didn't find either the garlic or leek taste overwhelming in the least. Just tomato front and center!
This is a meal in itself. I've made it two or three times. It can be thicker, like a stew, or thinner, as in a bisque. I had no celery, so each time I used chopped leeks, green and white parts. I added minced carrots once. I'm going to try adding white corn just at the end (to avoid overcooking, which toughens corn) next. Twice I used the heavy cream called for, and once I used the standard substitution of 3/4 cup milk, and 1/3 cup of butter, divided in half for 1/2 cup of cream. (Don't worry - you'll be making this soup again very soon, and use up the remaining 1/2 cup of "cream"!)Once I used Arborio rice, which is what's used for thick and creamy risotto, which was perfect for this recipe. A bit of cooked chorizo sausage on top might be tasty when serving, or Greek yogurt or sour cream or a sprinkling of feta cheese - you get the idea, this is incredibly versatile! Stick to the exact recipe for a straight, wonderful bisque, or go crazy with additions! And, you'll probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already, another plus. Keeper!
I've tried this twice now and I hate to say anything bad about a Chef John recipe, but the garlic, onion, flavor is much too overpowering and I love both. The second time I cut it back and it was still overpowering. I still have a recipe box full of Chef John recipes, this one just wasn't for us.
Delious!! I however did make one change and added sweet potatoes for a thicker more filling consistency. Other than that great recipe!!
I used this to make bisque for the first time ever and followed the recipe perfectly and I liked it. It was by far the best recipe I had researched for tomato bisque, and I used it as my foundation recipe then built from there, I still use the exact same ingredients (except for one carrot, I chop up one carrot with the celery and it helps with sweetness and a deeper flavor profile) so other than that carrot, everything is the exact same but I played around with the amounts Until I reached the Umami perfection I craved. Every person I know thought I was crazy because the average person has only had canned tomato soup that you add a can of water to, so they all thought I was nuts, everyone claimed to HATE tomato soup, but after trying the bisque I made they were amazed and have talked me into making 50 gallons for a fundraiser next month. This is a great recipe and it's very forgiving if you mess up something. Your chicken broth is your best friend and so is paprika. There's nothing that one of them can't fix in this recipe.
A new staple in our house.... This takes tomato bisque to the perfect level - silky texture, perfect flavor. Made exactly as directed and could not possibly think of a way to improve it. A bit decadent, but wanted to make it (and rate it) as it is written before changing anything. After trying it, I don't think I will! Thanks for a huge winner!
Chef John had been my go to for recipes for a while now. His recipes are easy to follow, his videos are entertaining, and he makes cooking fun. This recipe for Tomato Bisque didn’t disappoint. I have made it several times now and it has become a regular in the dinner rotation as it’s hard to find something the kids can all agree on that they enjoy. I have made it as is which is amazing as well as variations such as adding carrots or butternut squash which can lend a sweetness to the soup. I’ve made it with dried basil as well as fresh basil (fresh is best if available). I’ve used everything from whole milk, to half and half, to heavy cream whatever I’ve had on hand and it has always turned out a winner. The kids are always excited to hear I’m making a batch of Tomato Bisque. Pairs well with grilled cheese. I like to cut my grilled cheese into long sticks which the kids love dunking into this soup.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. I used the recipe as a guide. I added carrots and used roasted crush tomatoes. I also added a good bit of fresh chopped basil to the pot and about 1 cup of crushed mushroom.
Followed Chef John's recipe and video exactly (except I didn't have any celery). Turned out beautiful and delicious. Will definitely make again. Who knew it could be so easy? Thanks Chef John for another winner.
I have made this several times.... I added a bit of vinegar at the end and it was even better! Rounded out the flavors beautifully!
Wonderful! My only addition was crumbled Feta cheese just before serving instead of more cream.
Very good! Will definitely make again. I went ahead and used fresh tomatoes. 4 large for 4 servings. Halved the tomatoes, olive oil both sides with s&p. Place open side down on foil and broil on low for just a few mins. Discard the skin and large chop the tomatoes. I used too much red pepper flakes and had to add some tomato paste to cool it off.
Just okay. While there is a nice tomato flavor, and the ingredients compliment one another, this tastes, and looks, a little too much like a Vodka Sauce (sans the vodka) for pasta. Makes about 2 quarts.
Wow! Great meal, easy to do, and fed four comfortably. Highly recommended with a grilled cheese.
I've literally made this soup 4 times now in the last 2 weeks. I used homemade chicken stock which, as Chef John says, makes it go from zero to hero. If you haven't made your own stock yet, it makes your whole house warm and smell delicious! It is so easy and takes your soup to a whole new level. This recipe is perfect as is! I added a little white vinegar at the end twice, and it was super good either way. Thank you again for a 5 star recipe!
Balanced acid plus texture is smooth and creamy with a satisfying thickness. For a delicious vegan version, sub veggie broth for chicken broth and coconut cream (available in a can from Trader Joe’s market) for heavy (cow) cream.
Instead of half and half I added Pecorino grated cheese and low fat lactose free milk! Delish! Great easy recipe!
Somehow I always come back to this soup when it rains, or gets chilly or overcast during the late afternoon. It is absolutely the best tasting tomato bisque I have ever had! My wife only ever let me bake bread, make homemade pasta and sauce without constant surveillance until I made this one day when she was out. My 'unsupervised repetoire' is growing thanks to finding this recipe.
I thought this recipe was wonderful. It was well received by my dinner guests also. Thanks.
I used brand new cayenne and smoked paprika and the pop of heat was magic. I paired it with a fantastic grilled cheese with garlic salt in the butter and I just say--YES, YES, YES!! I served it with the sandwich cut in very small squares, to be enjoyed as a fondue style dip. I'll be serving this go guests soon as I can make the soup the day before and the grilled cheese fresh--and it will be oh so easy, people will talk about me and I'll like it!!
Loved this! I had never used rice in it for a thickener but what a great idea! I substituted fresh dill for the basil and sour cream on top. Soooo yummy!
Made this for friends I n the first cold night this fall. I'm glad I makes a lot because they wanted more. Chef John never disappoints. Followed the recipe and it rocked.
I made this recipe to the exact specifications down to the San Marzano tomatoes--I will say, however, I could only find whole tomatoes, not crushed so I just crushed them with my fingers as I added them--not sure if this changed anything but I'm thinking not). And then I just added salt and sugar in the end to my taste preferences. I just finished my last little bit of left overs and was thinking I already want to make another batch as I scraped my bowl! Very, very good. And I love that I didn't need to tweak. Thank you Chef John!!
Used regular diced canned tomatoes (2). 6 fresh tomatoes. This is 4 x the recipe
Good recipe, but I did spice it up a bit. Added 2 diced jalapeños, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp oregano, and, although I hate to admit it, I bumped up the sugar to 2 tsp. Turned out great and served with grilled cheese (pepperjack) sandwiches. I did not add any dairy.
Very nice tomato bisque, but I have other recipes I like better. Still, can't go wrong with grilled cheese and tomato soup.
No. But it was a little too hot. Next time less pepper.
This was meh at best. I made it exactly as is and had to doctor it. I added a bit of nutmeg and dried basil in my attempt, which did help. I didn't hate it. It just didn't wow me. I will be looking for another recipe.
As far as I was concerned, my husband made the very best tomato bisque soup on the planet until I made Chef John's! The only changes I made were using my own canned tomatoes from the garden last year and regular white rice . I also added a tad more sugar. This soup is divine!... and only gets better after a day or 2--IF you can make it last that long! Needless to say, those wonderful grilled cheese sandwiches made on artisan bread never tasted so good when paired up with Chef John's tomato bisque soup~our new favorite! Thanks for this great and easy recipe.
I didn't use Marzano's because we didn't have any but used diced canned tomatoes and added 1/3 can tomato paste for the tomato flavor missing from the canned diced tomatoes. Added some basil at the end for flavor because we didn't have fresh basil. REALLY GOOD!!
Great recipe from Chef John!!! I actually made it without the heavy cream at the end. Delicious!
Great recipe, I added a little tomato paste to boost the tomato flavor and added a 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to remove some of the acidity.
I made this soup following the recipe exactly except for one ingredient; the cream. I left all the dairy out (sorry chef) in an effort to cut down on the sugar (enough of that in the tomatoes). With 6 servings of 8 oz each the recipe analyzed at 116 calories and less than 2 grams of fat and little over 6 grams of fiber. This is a fantastic soup all around!!
Great soup have made many of chef john's recipes everyone was just fantastic tks Chef John
My first time making tomato bisque. This was a very easy recipe, and turned out delicious! I added fresh grated parmesan cheese on top. Superb!
I used the base recipe, but added 1 cup of jalapeño juice. Really added a zing to it! Thanks Chef John.
Loved it.. went and purchased an immersion blender (sp?) just for this! worked great... I think I needed a skinnier pot though because it was not deep enough really to use the blender.. Still a few little pieces of onion but it was ALMOST smooth. Also doubled the peppers, salts and sugars - but like Chef John says.. flavor to your own taste, right! Also put some basil IN the soup while it cooked too.. Easy and fun to make and delicious.. I will be making this again!
My wife and I just made this recipe exactly as the video says. Chef John is an excellent instructor. It's amazing and simple to follow. I like my soup chunkier so, next time I make it, I'm going take out some tomato chunks and blend the rest and add the tomatoes back in.
This turned out delicious! I didn’t change a thing. My picky husband, who won’t eat celery, loved this. Made it with grilled cheese on the side. Will be making this again
Absolutely delicious. I made this as part of our dinner and everyone in my family loved it!
I followed the recipe to a T?, it was outstanding! I’m so glad it made enough for more than a couple bowls, or I’d be making back to back batches. Yummy.
Amazing recipe, the rice works really well to add that creamy bisque-y texture. Bf and I made it twice, first w/ vegetable broth & then again w/ fake chicken broth (I'm vegetarian). Both were extremely delicious. I also added a carrot, which gave a nice flavor as well. The first time we made this we didn't have basil, so we topped w/ green onion & cheesy breadcrumbs. (I think chives would also be great)
Very good recipie. I substituted 3 dates (after soaking them for 15 min in hot water) for the sugar and added some blue cheese crumble and tarragon at serving.
Followed your recipe Chef John and it’s delicious ! I am craving for it all the time! Carol Catherine
followed the recipe. turned out really really good. i added some carrots and celery to the initial veggie starter just cuz i had some extra lying around. i would recommend adding the rice asap as it takes awhile to soften
Best Tomato Bisque I’ve ever made. Perfect with fresh hand picked basil and a grilled cheese sandwich. I then refrigerate it overnight and tell my friends it’s a gazpacho!
I Stayed with the exact recipe and LOVED it! I did add a dabble of sour cream on top of each serving rather than the cream and it made it just perfect. I will definitely make it again.
I used Fired Roasted diced tomatoes , some adobe sauce, and reduced the amount of garlic to 1 Tsp. Used the vitamix to puree the soup and then added cream. Delish!
"Best soup you have ever made" (said hubby). The only change I made was left out the cayenne and used Johnny's Seasoning instead. Texture and flavor was fantastic and it made enough for leftovers. The heavy cream really added to the rich flavor. A keeper.
I've made this several times - have to make a double batch as our son loves it.
I HATE tomato soup. This is the most nourashing delicious thing I have ever tasted!!. So good with a side of grilled cheese. A favourite for the whole family (and it freezes well!!!). Such a great recipie, I've made it over 10 times and I have yet to be disappointed!!
3/11/17 This soup is delicious. The gentle heat of the cayenne pepper with the sweet tomato taste is really nice. My husband and I are not huge fans of garlic so we cut it down to 1 large clove. We also did not have heavy cream so I used half and half. Lighter and still fantastic. 10/27/18 made this recipe with heavy cream and it was even more delicious!
I look for Chef John's recipes because they are normally delicious. I found this soup, however, to be very bland.
No changes. Yes! Have already made it three times. Awesome with grilled cheese on sourdough bread!
I used this as a reference. Some ingredients I didn't have so I substituted or left out. I used avocado oil. Didn't have any rice, cream, celery. Used fresh tomatoes. Used almond milk. It still came out rich and smooth. For seasonings, I used thyme, oregano and chives. I sprinkled Parmesan cheese before serving. My kids loved it. Perfect compliment to grilled cheese sandwich.
I make this quite often, as my entire family really enjoys it. My boyfriend has begun to eat tomatoes ever since he started having this soup. I sometimes add a lot more garlic than is called for, and I also add like four times more cayenne pepper. I highly recommend this recipe
Perfection!!! Made this exactly as Chef John did it. Now I can’t buy tomatoe soup ever again. Simply delicious
I decided to replace the Olive oil with real butter - I also used a whole stick. Excellent decision! I used pureed tomato, because the store was out of my favorite brand of crushed tomato. I did not cook the mixture 35-45 minutes before blending it. I blended/ puréed the mixture pretty much after I added the broth and tomato puree and then cooked it. I also had to use ~ 2- 3 tablespoons of sugar to give it the desired sweetness that I like. This was easy and absolutely delicious. Better than anything I've gotten in a restaurant.
I made this as written except for having to use dried basil instead of fresh. It was a delicious soup - rich and flavorful, and very easy to make. We'll be having this again!
Delicious! I substituted Greek yogurt for the heavy cream. It is a way to decrease the calories without losing the creaminess. You have to temper the yogurt like eggs. Excellent and healthy!
I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of I added a bit of turmeric for health reasons. This bisque is better than I've had in any restaurant. Chef John never disappoints!! Thank you for another fantastic recipe!!!
I added a 15oz can of Italian diced tomatoes. For the large can, I only had whole tomatoes on hand so put all the tomatoes in a food processor before cooking. I added more celery just because mine was about gone and used it up. I didn’t have the rice but it was thick enough without it. I also added a little onion powder. It was delicious—will definitely make again!
We really enjoyed the bisque soup. I added another 1/2 cup of cream. Will definitely make it again.
Very good. We made it with frozen tomatoes from last year’s garden, and it needed just a little bit more sugar to cut the acidity. We will definitely be using this recipe again
This is one of the best tomato soup recipes I made. I like the idea of adding rice to thicken it. It gave it a nice consistency. I used Hungarian paprika instead which gave it a little kick to it. Definitely a keeper!
Amazing soup! Exquisite and luxurious faire for a chilly evening at home with your loved one
I made this recipe exactly. Delicious comfort. Topped with thin strips of fresh basil. Tastes even better the next day.
Loved this! My hubby loved the bisque at a restaurant nearby, but it closed and I have been trying to find a recipe that will give him that bisque fix...this is nearly perfect. Not too rich, easy to make your own with a few additions.
Made it tonight and my husband is still raving about it. Wonderful recipe. I doubled the recipe and made it with homemade chicken broth. Followed the recipe pretty closely. Used palm sugar instead of white sugar, though. Delicious.
I have this this twice so far and I thoroughly enjoy it. I didn’t have the jasmine rice but the rice I had worked well. It is my go to soup for a cold chilly day.
Made exactly as recipe indicated. This is, by far, the most requested soup I make. Many that request this hate tomato soup, but LOVE this bisque. Excellent!
I didn't have any rice, so I thickened it with flour, and I ended up using a whole stick of butter. Something just isn't quite right.
I have made this several times now and each time I am amazed at how good it tastes! I use homegrown tomatoes in the summer and it is delicious. The video is easy to understand and I always enjoy Chef John's humor!
I am simmering right now and it is a weak flavor. I used fresh tomatoes from my garden and supplemented with some canned diced. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. Now I feel like I have to fix the flavor. Adding more broth, more seasoning, bouillon, just not getting a good rich flavor.
This is by far the best tomato bisque recipe on here! I add a little more of the paprika and add a pinch of smoked paprika as well. I also add A little dried basil into it. My husband loves it and asks me to make this all the time! My daughters ask for extras to take home so I double the recipe and freeze some.
Great flavor, and creamy. I actually (in retrospect) liked it possibly better before I added the cream, so I might try it that way some time. I've made tomato soup with fresh tomatoes, and they give you a flavor that was better than the San Marzano canned tomatoes; on the other hand, it was more work.
I made it the way chef John indicated. Everyone loved it! I am making it again today. I may add a little bit of chopped fresh Serano peppers.
I followed the recipe as written. Yet, I found the bisque to be very bland. I added more salt, fresh dried basil, more cracked pepper and even red pepper flakes. It helped a bit. I then allowed the bisque to sit over night in the refrigerator, and that made all the difference. The "down time" in the refrigerator allowed the ingredients to come together and improved the flavor greatly.
All this soup needs is a couple splashes of Worcestershire sauce and shredded cheese on top when serving! So delicious! Served with grilled cheese on the side! Yum!
