Warming Tomato Bisque

As seen in my article on YorkRegion.com - Renata's Table: Warm up this winter with a bowl of tomato bisque

This Warming Tomato Bisque is super simple to make with ingredients likely already in your fridge and pantry. It is smoother and creamier than tomato soup and has a delicate and delicious flavour. Serve this to family and friends to rave reviews.

Tip: always have a large can of diced tomatoes in your pantry – it will come in handy in so many ways!

Not only is it economical and delicious, but it is nourishing and a healthy choice as a first course at dinner, for lunch or for a mid afternoon snack. Leftovers reheat perfectly as if made fresh. And the bisque can be added to (see Variations below) to stretch it or to change up leftovers. This is one of the favourite soups in our home.

Tomatoes are a superfood. They are so very healthy for us.  They are an anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant and support the immune system.  They contain lycopene, which gives the tomato its red colour and protects the fruit from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. Lycopene acts the same in our bodies – it protects our cells from free radicals and damage, including our skin. Tomatoes are a source of potassium, VitC, VitB and VitE, the latter two support heart health. Tomatoes also contain lutein and zeaxanthin that support eye health, protect blue light of digital devices like smartphones and computers, help alleviate eye strain, and some US studies have shown promising results that tomatoes   may reduce the onset of age-related macular degeneration. Lycopene from processed canned tomatoes is more easily absorbed by our bodies than fresh, but the canning heat process reduces the VitC content somewhat. 

Oat Milk is the plant milk I use to thicken and add creaminess to baked goods and certain savory dishes.   It is vegan, and being made from oats, is nut free. Commercial oat milk is often fortified with riboflavin (VitB2) and VitB12. Oat milk (and oats) is high in beta glucan, a soluble fiber. When ingested, beta glucan creates a gel-like substance within the gut that binds to cholesterol to reduce its absorption and this in turn supports the lowering of blood cholesterol levels, especially levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which has been linked to heart disease.

As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Warming Tomato Bisque goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 45 minutes / Makes: 4 generous servings

Ingredients

  • 3 Cloves Garlic – chopped

  • ¼ Cup Olive Oil – Alternate: Coconut Oil or Grape Seed Oil

  • 1 Medium Cooking Onion - chopped

  • 1 Large Carrot - chopped

  • 2 Stalks Celery - chopped

  • 1/3 Cup Flour – Gluten Free or Regular

  • 28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes

  • 2 teaspoons Coconut Sugar

  • 1 teaspoon Dried Basil

  • 1 teaspoon Dried Marjoram

  • ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme

  • ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder

  • 1 Herb Bomba - optional

  • 4 Cups Veggie Bouillon – Alternate: store bought low sodium vegetable stock

  • 1 Cup Oat Milk – Alternate: coconut milk or cream, dairy whole milk or cream 

  • ½ teaspoon Curry Powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon Ground Turmeric

  • Pinch of Herbed Seasoned Sea Salt or regular sea salt

  • A Few Grinds of Fresh Black Pepper

How it’s Made

  • Peel and chop the garlic and set it aside so it can create its nutritional magic.

  • You are going to make a mirepoix – this is a flavor base for many savory dishes, made from cooking diced vegetables — in butter, oil, or another fat — on low heat stirring it so that it softens but doesn’t brown too much. Heat the oil over medium-low heat and when hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Sauté until veggies are soft, about 5-10 minutes.

  • Sprinkle the flour over the mirepoix and give it a stir to mix it in.

  • Add in the tomatoes, the coconut sugar, basil, marjoram, thyme, chili powder, the herb bomba if you have one (no worries if you don’t – but make these one day soon as you will use them often in so many savory dishes!) and the veggie bouillon. Give it a good stir. 

  • Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Let it simmer for 40 -45 minutes, stirring from time to time.

  • After the 40-45 minutes, turn off the heat but let the pot stay on the burner. With a hand-held immersion blender, carefully puree the soup until it is very smooth. You can use a regular blender if you don’t have a hand-held immersion blender – let the soup cool for 10 minutes, then with a large measuring cup, pour soup into the blender in stages returning the pureed soup to the pot. Repeat until all the soup is smooth.

  • Stir in the oat milk, the curry and turmeric. Stir to incorporate these into the soup. 

  • Season with the pinch of herbed seasoned sea salt, or plain sea salt, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Stir to mix these into the soup.

  • Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if you have them, or with a sprinkle of dried basil. 

  • Serve with a slice of bread or crackers or on its own.

Enjoy!

Variations

  • Add a cup of small pasta, or frozen mini ravioli, to the soup – add a ½ cup of water as well so the pasta doesn’t soak up too much of the bisque.

  • Add a handful of chopped baby spinach or chopped kale to the bisque and simmer until wilted and soft.

  • Add a cup of frozen peas and simmer the bisque until the peas are soft and heated through.

  • Add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas or another bean of your choice to the bisque and let it simmer to warm the beans through.

  • Add some shredded or small cubed cooked chicken to the bisque and allow to simmer to heat through.

Dairy Free, Dinner, Egg Free, Healthy eating, Inspiration, Light Supper, Lunch, VegetarianRenata RichardsonAntioxidant, eye health, Heart Health, antioxidant, fiber, Immune supportingComment