Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup

Winter in Texas does not always provide us with fireplace weather but we do get a sprinkling of chilly temps here and there. And it’s on those nights that we crave a massive bowl of Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup with some toasty grilled cheese. If all you’ve got is a few cans of plain old tomato soup in the pantry then this will be the easiest recipe to transform canned soup into a restaurant-worthy Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup! The perfect pairing includes our Toasted Grilled Cheese Dipping Sticks!

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What do you need to make Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup?

Many of these ingredients are easily found in your pantry without a special trip to the grocery store.

Here’s your shopping list for the tomato soup:

• Large onion, diced
• Garlic, 5 cloves – minced
• Olive oil, 1 tablespoon
• Butter, 4 tablespoons
• Celery, 1 stalk – thinly chopped
• Chicken broth, 1 – 14.5-ounce can OR 1 3/4 cup
• Tomato Soup, 3 – 10 3/4 cans – condensed
• Oregano, 1 teaspoon – fresh or dried
• Red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon
• Basil, 1 teaspoon – fresh or dried
• Pepper, 1 tablespoon
• Salt, 2 teaspoons
• Heavy cream, 1/2 (to 3/4) cup

Optional toppings:

• Dried parsley
• Grated parmesan cheese

How easy is it to make Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup?

This recipe is quite possibly the easiest and yummiest tomato bisque you’ll ever make… EVER! But before we get started on the soup, we find it helpful to assemble the Toasted Grilled Cheese Dipping Sticks FIRST so they are ready to toast while the soup simmers on the stove. This will ensure both the dipping sticks AND the soup will be hot and tasty at the same time.

Here’s what you’ll need for Toasted Grilled Cheese Dipping Sticks:

• Texas toast, 8 slices *or any sandwich bread you have around the kitchen
• Butter or non-stick cooking spray
• Cheese, 16 slices – any kind

How to assemble the Toasted Grilled Cheese Dipping Sticks:

NOTE: We use a toaster oven for this recipe but you can use an oven, griddle, or skillet over low heat as well.

Layer two slices of cheese on one slice of Texas toast and top with the other slice of bread. Spray the top of the bread with non-stick cooking spray (or use butter), turn the sandwich over, and spray (or butter) the other side.

Then cut the sandwich into 3 long slices. Place the sticks in the fridge to wait for toasting time.

Soup time … Let’s get started!

I find that a large dutch oven pot works best for this soup but you can use any large pot you have at home.

First, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add your chopped onions, celery, and then butter on top. Stir over medium heat to cook until both vegetables have softened.

Then reduce the heat to low and stir in the minced garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Keep the heat low and then stir in the chicken broth and tomato soup.

Next, we will add in our seasonings to really give this Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup some flavor and a teeny tiny amount of heat!

Add oregano, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix well into the soup and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then stir in the heavy cream and cook for another 5 minutes. It’s starting to looking like a creamy soup!

Be sure to taste test the soup and add the other ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (if desired). If that adds too much heat, you can add small amounts of heavy cream at a time until it is just perfect.

Now is the time to pull your prepared Grilled Cheese Dipping Sticks out of the refrigerator.

While the soup simmers on your stovetop over low heat, begin toasting the dipping sticks.

We prefer to toast our grilled cheese in our toaster oven (cooking times & temps vary per oven) for just a few minutes until the bread has toasted and the cheese has melted but you can also use a large skillet, griddle, or even bake for a few minutes in the oven. Keep an eye on them so the bread doesn’t burn while stirring your soup every few minutes.

How to serve and garnish Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup …

Serve the soup with grated parmesan cheese and dried parsley sprinkled on top and add the Toasted Grilled Cheese Dipping Sticks on the side.

NOTE: Once toasted, you can cut the dipping sticks into cubes if you prefer to use as croutons.

And there you go, the perfect soup and sandwich on a cold winter’s night! Delicious! I’m feeling warmer already.

Looking for more tasty and easy recipes? Try a few here:

• Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
• Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
• Creamy Beef and Potatoes
• Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
• Meat and Potato Timballo Pie

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