Creamy Tomato Bisque
It’s not a spicy recipe, but you could certainly make it that way. I would suggest some of Green Bandit’s Basil Serrano (review here) hot sauce to keep with the basil theme. I found this recipe in our local paper and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it – and sitting here watching the snow come down in Chicago, I can think of nothing better then a warm bowl of tomato soup.
TOMATO BISQUE
* 4 cups crushed canned tomatoes
* 4 cups tomato juice or chicken broth
* 14 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Oregano, to garnish (optional)
In a large pot, simmer the tomatoes with the juice or broth for 30 minutes. Add the basil, then blend the mixture in batches. Return to the pot. Add the cream and butter, and heat through, taking care not to boil). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh basil or oregano if desired.
Makes 5 to 6 servings.
Suggestions: I used tomato juice when I made it and at first pass it was a little too tangy – so I added more heavy cream and it came out just fine. Going to try a 50/50 split of tomato juice & chicken broth next time. Don’t skip the basil unless you can’t stand basil – it’s critical to the final flavor. I love basil, so next time I’m going to add even more.
The Spread
2 responses to “Recipe: Tomato Bisque Soup”
Nice spread, and a great sounding recipe, Nick. Looks easy too. Do you think it would it hurt the flavor much if the butter was cut in half and/ or half & half was used instead of heavy cream? I guess I should try it and find out. SM
I made this tonight for dinner with some grilled cheese…YUMMY. OK, I did change the recipe slightly. I just can’t stick to any recipe…I always need to tweak it somehow. Anyway, I used 4 cups of V8 juice versus the tomato juice, 1 cup of fat free half and half, and 1/4 cup of butter. Oh, and I added 3 gloves of garlic cooked in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. I am sure it was not as creamy as Nicks, but it did make a damn decent soup! Thanks so much for sharing Nick, it was quick and good!!!!