Per request, here’s that promised post for tomato bisque!

A little back story – I made this all summer long with fresh-from-the-corner-veggie-stand tomatoes.  I would buy a basket or two of fresh, ripe tomatoes, toss them in a pot of boiling water for about 45 seconds and then peel and seed them.  (the seeds are not fun in the smooth, creamy soup – so I feel like it’s an absolutely necessary step)  While I’m peeling and seeding the tomatoes, I would saute some onion and carrots then toss in the tomatoes as I finished peeling and seeding them.  As the veggies simmered, I would add some water – or you can use veggie/chicken stock/bouillon – season to taste, puree and then finish off with cream, butter and fresh shredded basil.  Cheese is a nice topper, too.

But what about on a boat?  Well, if you can get your hands on plenty of fresh tomatoes and want to boil and peel them, and have an immersion blender on board, then this is a fresh, delicious soup.  But if you’re traveling and have run out of brilliant ideas to use all those canned tomatoes you thought were a good idea at the warehouse store, then let’s make some modifications.

I’ve made the soup with canned, diced tomatoes – just bypassed the boiling, seeding step.  The rest is pretty much the same.  However, I didn’t like the super chunky finished product as much as the original version.  Now I open the cans of tomatoes (you can use any tomato product really – diced, whole, or puree), drain the liquid into the pot and then fine chop the tomatoes.  The rest is simple – saute your veggies (also finely chopped) and let them cook down a bit.  I have a decent selection of spices and add just about all of them – but here are the few I think are crucial:  thyme, salt, white pepper and basil.  I also throw in parsley, bay leaf, a pinch of cayenne (or more if I’m wanting a spicy version) and finish off with a little nutmeg. (I like nutmeg in a variety of creamy soups and sauces)  You can eat alongside a grilled cheese or salad, or top with feta, cheddar or parm.  Scoop up and enjoy!

(I will add photos next time I make a batch, but I didn’t want to prolong the recipe due to my lack of time to cook!)

About Author

Jennifer

Artist, food nerd, SUP/yoga enthusiast and travel obsessed blogger – chronicling the process of going from land to sea. Selling all of her worldly possessions so that she can set sail into the sunset with her husband and two dachshunds – searching for that next sunrise paddle. Follow along. It’ll be fun 🙂

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