What makes a creamy tomato bisque?

Bisque is traditionally a thick creamy seafood soup. In general, bisque is thicker and is also made with a milk product. Heavy whipping cream does two things: makes all bisque / soup thicker and also makes it creamy and silky.

Why did my tomato bisque separate / curdle?

Mostly the reason would be that milk or light cream was used instead of heavy whipping cream. The lower the fat content = the higher the possibilities of milk curdling, so use heavy whipping cream. But also, it could be because the heat was too high when adding the cream. Try lowering or removing the tomato soup from the heat and then stirring in the cream.

How can I make canned tomato bisque better?

First, just make it yourself with this super easy tomato bisque recipe! Try adding heavy whipping cream to a canned tomato bisque if it doesn't taste good as is.

Creamy and Easy Tomato Bisque (Soup) Recipe / Video

Easy Creamy Tomato Bisque

White bowl with black rim of red tomato bisque soup on a wood rectangle plate. Grilled cheese sandwich cut in half diagonally on the side.

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EatSimpleFood.com

This thick and creamy tomato bisque (soup) recipe is extremely easy, fast, affordable and delicious. The ingredients are so simple that you might think it's too good to be true.

Author: beckie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: International
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

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3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup (~ 1 small) onion, diced
56 ounces (2 cans) WHOLE canned Tomatoes with juices
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp salt

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Instructions

Bring a pot to medium high heat and add butter and onions.
Reduce heat to medium low and cook covered until onions are soft and translucent (not brown or caramelized) ~ 7 minutes.
Add whole canned tomatoes with juices and salt.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered ~ 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and Immersion blend (you can also food process or put it in the blender).
Mix in heavy cream. Rewarm soup on low if needed.
Add salt to taste. Add cream to taste if you want it richer and more velvety.
Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or buttery toast. The grilled cheese in the pictures is a mixture of a bunch of left over cheese that we had including blue cheese (YUM!). Happy Eating! Beckie

Notes

Why is heavy whipping cream used instead of milk or half and half in soups or bisques? It's because the fat content is so high that it prevents it from curdling when cooking. It also freezes and defrosts better.
In a pinch, use a lighter dairy. It will not be as rich and it may separate/curdle when cooking but it will still be good.
Vegans can use soy or coconut creamer instead of heavy whipping cream and a non-dairy substitute instead of butter.

Find it online: https://eatsimplefood.com/tomato-bisque/