Tomato Bisque – Soup Might Not Count as a Meal, but Bisque Certainly Does
It's been awhile since I dropped a Seinfeld reference, but this hearty tomato bisque had me reminiscing about the famous "soup's not a meal" episode. It's rich, hearty, and satisfyingly thick without being heavy. Sorry, Bania, it counts.
There are different opinions on what makes something a bisque. Technically, it's made from some sort of shellfish puree, but modern usage includes vegetables as well. Above and beyond that, it has to have cream, and be thickened with rice.
One problem with many of the tomato soups I've had, is that they are either thickened with tons of tomato paste, which is like eating a bowl of pasta sauce, or they're thickened with a flour roux or cornstarch slurry, which leaves them too pasty for me. A little rice thickens the soup just as well , but also gives it a nice silky texture.
As far as the canned tomatoes go, we're using the same argument here we use for tomato sauce. Unless you have some amazingly sweet, vine-ripened specimens around, that you've peeled, seeded, and cooked down to get rid of the excess moisture, then chances are San Marzano tomatoes will produce a superior product.
I tried to stress in the video how important it is to adjust the seasonings to your liking, especially the sweetness. Many of us were raised on Campbell's tomato soup (and grilled cheese sandwiches, of course), and because that flavor is so ingrained in our taste memories, you need to get this at least close for it to work. Taste, adjust, taste, adjust, and as always, enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 Portions:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes, or about 3 1/2 cups of other crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp white long grain rice
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 or 2 tsp sugar, or to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- cayenne to taste
- basil to garnish
Directions
- Chop onions and celery, sweat with some olive oil and salt.
- Add garlic when onions are transparent. Do NOT burn garlic!
- Add the quart of stock and the can of San Marzano tomotoes and stir them in.
- Turn flame on high until boiling.
- Add paprika, cayenne
- Add salt, pepper to taste
- Stir in the rice
- Adjust heat to nice slow simmer. Consider skimming foam off the top. Continue 35-45 minutes or until rice is soft.
- Taste for sugar and add as required.
- Blend with immersion blender until smooth
- Add cream and whisk it in
- Adjust thickness, salt, sugar, cayenne
- Serve in warm bowls with a swirl of cream on top and grilled cheese sandwiches.