I was working to prep the vegetable garden all day yesterday, and threw this bisque together with toasted sandwiches at the end of the day. It makes a quick meal that warms you when the spring days turn to cold evenings; or any time of year when you have that yearning for a good comfort food.

This bisque is a hearty, rustic soup with a flavor medley formed from its vegetable base. As written it is Vegetarian/Keto friendly. Substituting nut milks for the dairy in the recipe will convert it to Paleo/Vegan friendly.

I like mine topped with a bold cheese such as Parmesan, Gorganzola or Blue, maybe a bit of Roasted Garlic. I serve with homemade croutons or a slice of toasted and buttered rustic bread.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Large Carrot, diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled and mashed
32 Ounces of Fresh whole tomatoes, peeled 
(or 28 ounce canned whole tomatoes with with juice if fresh not available)
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, mincd
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 Cup whipping cream

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Instructions

1. On medium setting, heat butter and olive oil in a medium stock pot until butter melts and begins to sizzle. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent 5-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until tomatoes are cooked and easy to squish with the back of a spoon.
2. Add fresh herbs and blend with an immersion blender, or you can transfer to a food processor or blender if you do not have an immersion blender and blend in small batches and cover lid with dish towel to avoid hot splatters. Blend until no chunks remain and herbs are flecked throughout.
3. Add fresh whipping cream and stir to finish soup.

Tip: This past year, I had a lot of tomatoes come out of the garden, and the kitchen was being remodeled, so I learned you can actually freeze whole tomatoes. I washed and cored my tomatoes and then froze them on cookie sheets individually before placing in re-sealable freezer bags. This allows you to remove the tomatoes individually – they don’t stick together. You can just reach in the bags and grab what you need for a recipe. When they thaw they are great for soups, stews, sauces, condiments and salsas. The skins slip right off after thawing.

If you don’t garden, but frequent farmer’s markets for that sun-ripened tomato taste, this technique is a great way to have that fresh tomato taste throughout the fall and winter. I use my frozen tomatoes and just weigh them out with a kitchen scale before partially thawing, peeling and dropping into soup base.