I'm a die-hard tomato soup fan. But it wasn't until I had tomato bisque in a restaurant that I started making my own. After tasting a thick and hearty bisque with complex flavors from additional vegetables and spices, Campbell's Soup just wasn't going to cut it.
I whipped this soup up for a fancier take on tomato soup for lunch with a friend. It was surprising how such a delicious soup, that you might find in a high-end restaurant, could be whipped up in a little over 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes of cooking time. And let's be honest: Letting the soup simmer requires absolutely no effort. You can kick your heels up and rest while lunch practically makes itself.
This soup is as easy as it is elegant.
SPICY RED PEPPER AND TOMATO BISQUE (serves 4)
1 can of organic diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 carrots roughly chopped
1/2 yellow onion chopped
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 Tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
In a large pot, heat coconut oil on medium high heat. Add all veggies, except tomatoes, and cook until vegetables have softened. Add tomatoes and juice from can. Add all herbs and spices. Simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or by transferring it in portions to a food processor.
Feel free to reduce the amount of red pepper flakes to reduce the spice.
To complete your meal, may I suggest a fancy version of a grilled cheese? My husband calls this "churching it up", meaning you make it "look" good. I took some good quality bread from a bakery, cut it into slices, then smeared one slice with homemade rosemary hummus, and another with goat cheese. The panini "look" comes from cooking the sandwich on a griddle pan with a heavy cast iron skillet pressing the bread. You could also whip out the ol' George Forman to make paninis.
What could be better than grilled cheese and tomato soup?
Looking for more delicious soups to make? Check out my Potato, Leek, and Cauliflower Soup.
Kelly Davis is a blogger, freelance writer, food enthusiast, and native North Carolinian. When she's not training for a race or cooking something delicious in the kitchen, she's writing, reading, snuggling her dachshund, or plotting her next project. You can keep up with Kelly's antics and recipes on her blog, Foodie Fresh.