Boat food! Tomato Bisque

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!)