Tomato Bisque with Cheddar Bay Dumplings
Tomato bisque with Cheddar Bay dumplings is the soup lover’s dream come true. A rich, creamy tomato bisque is studded with buttery cheddar biscuit dumplings for a twist on two classics.

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It’s pretty much been soup season.
It’s easy to whip up and it’s cozy.
Plus the revolving door of illness has started and the best cure for what ails ya is definitely soup.
We did the chicken noodle (aka Grandma’s penicillin) the first day.
But now the captain’s log says we are at day I don’t even know.
So I’m turning to another of Grandma’s remedies.
Smooth, creamy tomato bisque.

And I threw in some Cheddar Bay dumplings to get my husband on board with eating soup again.
And those buttery, cheesy, pillowy dumplings did the trick!
This scene stealing dumplings deliver bright bold flavor in a smooth soup.
Sitting down to a bowl full of this will make anything seem better!
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need a set of ingredients for the soup and one for the dumplings.

For the tomato bisque itself you’ll need:
- Butter– Salted or unsalted
- Onion– Chopped white onion
- Flour– All purpose to thicken the soup up.
- Chicken broth– If you’re concerned about sodium go for low sodium
- Canned diced tomatoes– 3 14.5 ounce cans, undrained.
- Sugar– Granulated. To cut the acidity
- Salt and pepper
And for the dumplings you’ll need:
- Flour– All purpose
- Sugar– Granulated
- Baking powder– For leavening
- Spices– Garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper
- Buttermilk– If you don’t have any make your own by stirring a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice into a cup of milk.
- Butter– Unsalted
- Cheese– Shredded cheddar
- Parsley– Fresh chopped parsley leaves
How to Make
Let’s break this down into making the soup, making the dumplings, and putting it all together.
How to Make Tomato Bisque
Start making the tomato bisque by melting the butter over medium heat in a dutch oven or other large soup pot.

Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onion and cook it until it’s soft, stirring often.
Whisk in the flour and cook it for about a minute to cook the flour ‘taste’ out.

In a separate bowl, stir together the broth and tomatoes.
Then stir in the broth mixture a little bit at a time until the mixtures completely smooth and all the broth’s incorporated.
Season the soup with sugar, salt, and pepper.

Bring the soup to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.
Put a lid on the pot and prepare the dumpling dough.
How to Make Cheddar Bay Dumplings
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the half cup of melted butter.
Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients just until moist.
Then fold in the cheese.
To Put It All Together
After you have the dumpling batter made and the soup has simmered for a little while, take the lid off of the pot and turn the heat down to low.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s completely smooth.
Let the soup come back up to a simmer.

Then use a spoon to drop dollops of the dumpling dough into the simmering soup until it all gets dropped in the pot.
Return the lid to the pot and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes.

Insert a toothpick into the center of the largest dumpling and if it comes out clean, remove the pot from heat.
In a separate small pot, melt and stir together the butter, parsley, and garlic.

Brush the mixture out over the dumplings in the pot.
Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each bowl has several dumplings.
Serve with the leftover butter herb mixture, for dipping if desired.
Enjoy!

Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Keep in mind the longer you store the soup, the more liquid the dumplings will absorb.

Tips and Tricks
- You can use a box of Cheddar Bay biscuit mix if you don’t want to make homemade dumplings. Just make the biscuit batter according to the instructions on the package prior to dropping spoonfuls of batter into the soup.
- Cayenne pepper is optional.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer batches of the soup into a blender and blend it until smooth.

Other Soup Recipes
Tomato bisque with Cheddar Bay dumplings is a delicious comforting bowl of goodness.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other soup recipes?
Try these:
- Unstuffed Cabbage Soup
- Crack Chicken Soup
- Swiss Mushroom Potato Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Steak And Potato Soup
- Creamy Spinach And Artichoke Soup

If you’ve tried this TOMATO BISQUE WITH CHEDDAR BAY DUMPLINGS, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!

Tomato Bisque with Cheddar Bay Dumplings
Ingredients
For The Tomato Bisque
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 white onion chopped
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For The Cheddar Bay Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
To Make The Tomato Bisque
- In a dutch oven, or other large soup pot, over medium heat melt the butter. Add the onion, stirring until cooked soft. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute to cook the flour 'taste' out.2 tbsp butter, 1 white onion, 3 tbsp flour
- In a separate bowl, stir together the broth and tomatoes. Stir the broth mixture in a little bit at a time until the mixtures completely smooth and all the broth's incorporated.3 cups chicken broth, 3 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
- Stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil, and then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Put a lid on the pot and prepare the dumpling dough.1 tsp sugar, ¾ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper
To Make The Cheddar Bay Dumplings
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the half cup of melted butter.1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Pour the milk and butter mixture over the dry ingredients in the larger bowl and stir, using a rubber spatula, just until moist. Using the same spatula gently fold in the cheese.1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
To Finish
- Remove the lid from the soup pot and reduce the heat to low. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it's completely smooth. Return the soup to a simmer.
- Using a spoon, drop dollops of the dumpling dough into the simmering soup until it's all in the pot. Return the lid to the pot and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the largest dumpling and if it comes out clean, remove the pot from heat.
- In a separate small pot, melt and stir together the butter, parsley, and garlic. Brush the mixture out over the dumplings in the pot.2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp chopped, 1 tsp garlic powder
- Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each bowl has several dumplings. Serve with the leftover butter herb mixture, for dipping- if desired.
Notes
- You can use a box of Cheddar Bay biscuit mix if you don't want to make homemade dumplings. Just make the biscuit batter according to the instructions on the package prior to dropping spoonfuls of batter into the soup.
- Cayenne pepper is optional.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer batches of the soup into a blender and blend it until smooth.
Nutrition
Adapted from Heather Likes Food
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.




This looks really good – Pinned! Would love to have you share it at the What’s for Dinner link up! https://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-dinner-sunday-link-80/
Thanks, Helen and I’m more than happy to come party with ya. See you there.
Goodness, this recipe has my mouth watering!! I love homemade tomato soup and the additional of cheesy dumplings….YUMMO! Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us :)