Sunday, September 7, 2014

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque


It finally felt like fall yesterday!  Yes, I'm one of the weirdos that actually prefers sweater weather over the 80 degree days.  In honor of the first chilly (and rainy) day of September, Howie and I both thought it was appropriate to make a classic cold weather dish: grilled cheese sandwiches and a hearty soup.  We spent a little too long debating what kind of soup to make, but decided that the prerequisites were that it had to be a) thick b) filling c) ideally include some veggies (since soup is the only way Howie can eat them) and d) taste good with grilled cheese.  We ended up choosing one of my favorite homemade soups, a roasted red pepper tomato bisque that my mom started making a few years ago.  The creamy, herb-filled soup paired with the crunchy grilled cheese paninis that Howie made was a truly unbeatable combo!
One of the best parts of this recipe is that it's full of things that you can easily stock in your pantry! Who would've thought that combining marinara sauce, roasted red peppers, cannellini beans, olive oil, chicken broth and grated parmesan cheese with fresh basil, garlic, onion and some herbs could result in a delicious homemade soup?  I promise it totally does!


I added the marinara sauce, roasted red peppers, cannellini beans, olive oil, onions, garlic and half of the fresh basil to food processor.  Yes, I actually had to split this mixture into 2 batches after I took the picture because I was afraid of it totally exploding all over the kitchen!  Depending on the strength of the food processor or blender, I would blend it for about 15-20 seconds.  I like the mixture to be almost pureed with a little bit of texture so you know what the ingredients are.



Once I finished blending the mixture, I put it in a large saucepan and added the chicken broth, parmesan cheese, dried herbs and the the remaining fresh basil.  I brought the soup to a simmer over medium-low heat, and let it cook about 30 minutes until the flavors had a chance to blend together.  If you want to let it cook a little longer over low heat, feel free!  It will only get better!  



I would HIGHLY recommend serving it with a side of grilled cheese.  Actually, it's mandatory.  Tomato bisque of any form without grilled cheese is just a crime!  Not sure if it's too early to say this, but I'm totally ready for fall based on how great this meal tasted!





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