Tomato Bisque

We had the post-lovely-weekend blues and needed some comfort food. It was a chilly Seattle evening so I decided to make soup, tomato soup.

Usually the only soups I like are wonton style clear soups but that was hardly going to satisfy us so I decided to try to replicate the tomato bisque we’d had just days ago.

It turned out so hearty and comforting ...

Ingredients:

1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
1 large clove of garlic
1 spring onion
10 basil leaves
2 cups tomatoes (peeled, canned kind)
2 cups vegetable broth (Click here for a home made stock recipe)
½ cup cream

Paprika
Salt
Pepper
2 tbs wheat flour
1 bay leaf
2 tsps rosemary/thyme/herbs De Provence (any one)

Chop the onion, and sauté in some olive oil or butter
Chop the carrots and garlic, add to the onions and sauté
Add the bayleaf and herbs
Whisk the flour into the broth and pour into the onion/veggie mixture
Let it boil and remove the bay leaf
Add the tomatoes and heat through
Puree the entire mixture (if you like it a little chunky, use a hand blender!)
Add the cream and heat if needed.

Season with salt, pepper and chopped basil leaves. Garnish with spring onions.

(The soup tastes awesome with garlic bread- mash a clove of garlic into some softened butter and spread on bread, broil in the oven for 3 mins)

Healthier Alternative:
Omit the cream, grind a handful of pine nuts, almonds or cashews and add to the soup.