It took me a little while to decide what to name this soup. I was originally going to call it Classic Tomato Basil Soup. However, it really isn’t all that classic. Don’t get me wrong, it still has that comforting quality you need in a tomato soup for when you are sick or chilled to the bone in the middle of winter. However, this soup is a little different as it not only has fresh basil but is rendered dreamy creamy thanks to pureed cauliflower instead of cheese or heavy cream(this also means it is low calorie!). It is the creaminess in this soup that brought me to call it a bisque. I even looked up exactly what a bisque was. I discovered it is generally made with seafood of sorts, but vegetable soups that are super creamy can also be called “bisque”. I was like, “Well then, there ya go”. So here we have my Tomato Basil Bisque.
What does this soup taste like, you may ask? It is obviously creamy, but it is also smooth and mild yet a bit spicy due to the amount of black pepper I put in mine. It would be perfectly paired with a grilled “cheese” sandwich or as a partner to a salad. That is what I have been using my batch of soup for, is an appetizer to a hearty salad. If you follow me on instagram or twitter you can check out that soup/salad combo for yourself. I posted it for my dinner last night 😉
Enough about this tasty soup of mine, though. I want to talk to you about my upcoming week! My mother and I are going on a quick trip to New York City! Somehow, I have never been so we decided this need to be remedied ASAP. Also, my best friend is headed that way with her mother before moving to Spain in a month and they invited us to tag along on their mini adventure. Naturally, we accepted. Come Thursday morning, I will be gallivanting in the city that never sleeps! What does this mean to you? Well, it means that in the upcoming weeks you will have a full review of the vegan friendly grub I can get my hands on in Manhattan. I am taking my camera on it’s first vacation to capture all the food fare I consume. I am excited to do my first travel piece for you guys!
Let me know if you have any food stops I can’t miss on my quick trip in the comments below! Also, if you try out my soup I want to see, please tag me @peppers_peaches and use my hashtag #peppersandpeaches on instagram and/or twitter!
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 -1½ cups coarsely chopped white onion
- 1 20 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 1/1 cups veggie broth (water would probably work here too)
- 1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 8-10 large basil leaves (more if prefer strong basil flavor)
- juice of 1 small lemon
- salt and pepper
- Place extra large skillet or pot on the stove on medium heat. Add olive oil and allow to heat up.
- Add minced garlic and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Then add chopped onions.
- Cook onions for 5-6 minutes until starting to turn translucent.
- Next, add diced tomatoes including the juice in the can, the vegetable broth, the chopped cauliflower, and bay leaves. Stir slightly, so cauliflower is submerged in liquid mixture.
- Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, you may have to bump the heat to medium/high to get mixture to a simmer.
- After 15 minutes, see if cauliflower is softened by spearing with a fork. If tender move to the next step, if not, allow to simmer covered for a few more minutes.
- Working in batches if necessary, carefully pour piping hot mixture into a high powered blender. Add basil leaves and about ½ tsp each of salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth. It took my vitamix about 3 minutes to fully blend the soup so it was perfectly creamy.
- Carefully taste mixture, add more salt, pepper, or basil per your preferences. I personally used more pepper.
Jack Stone says
Have a great time in NYC! Can’t wait to see what Vegan goodies you find in NYC
Jenn says
Im excited!