Tomato Bisque with a slight Kick

Nothing says winter like soup.  Is there anything more warming, anything more comforting than a good warm bowl of soup.  My wife’s grandfather would say, “I like my drinks cold and my soup hot.”  In this recipe, with the exception of 1 tbsp of butter, the recipe uses evaporated milk for the creaminess.  So this is a great healthy recipe.  Shine Supper Club is looking for healthy recipes this month and this is a good one to add to your repertoire.

The key to cooking and to enjoying your food is to add flavors, spices that you enjoy to classic dishes.  I was throwing together a quick lunch for my son and me.  It is gray and rainy here in Chicago.  How about tomato soup and grilled cheese.  I am not sure it gets any more comforting than that combination.  Mind you, it was not just a grilled cheese either.  I used three different cheeses.

Oh yea, back to the kick.  It is subtle but my wife had a bowl later in the day and she was asking what I put in to make it so spicy.  It was simply one can of tomatoes with green chilies. As noted above, the soup looks creamy too but it uses evaporated milk.

Recipe
Tomato Bisque:

1. In a skillet, melt 1 tbsp each butter and canola oil 
2. Add 2 small diced yellow onions and cook until softened; approximately 3 minutes
3. Add one 29 oz can of diced tomatoes and their juice, one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, 1 tbsp light brown sugar, 1 bay leaf, 2 diced garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried basil and salt & pepper to taste – simmer 5 more minutes
4. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, heat to a near boil, 1 cup of evaporated milk and add 3 tbsp cornstarch and mix until fully incorporated – 2 – 3 minutes
5. Now add the tomato mixture slowly to the milk (to make sure it does not curdle) then add the rest and  simmer for 5 minutes
6. Finish by using an immersion blender to put a “rough” blend to the mixture; serve hot