Easy Italian tomato basil bisque, so comforting

There is nothing better than a bowl full of piping hot soup on a cold day, which the whole family could enjoy! Soups are a wonderful way to add nutrition and volume to your meals (it's a popular weight management tool)! This recipe is as simple as it gets and as healthy and savory as it could be!

My first time having tomato bisque was at Fisherman's Wharf, in a flaky bread bowl! It was so good, I went back for it the next night! Oh man, it was delicious but shockingly calorie-loaded! I couldn't feel more guilty after that. But after trying a few different home-made versions of it, I settled on this recipe, not at all loaded with fat and carb calories!

Always check the nutrition label on the ready-to-eat soups found at grocery stores! You'll be shocked to see the generous amounts of calories and fat from butter/cream for flavor! There is no healthiest version except the homemade version!

There are many wonderful benefits to using celery. It is loaded with diverse biological antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds and is useful for folks with high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and cholesterol. It's also rich in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, and calcium.

Let's jump to the recipe!

RECIPE:

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 25-30 min

Serves: 3-4

Cooking time (stovetop): 35-40 minutes

Instant pot: 8 minutes "saute" mode and "pressure cook " 6 minutes followed by quick release

Ingredients:

• olive oil, 2 tbsp

• garlic, chopped, 3-4 cloves

• sweet yellow onion, chopped, 1 cup

• celery sticks, chopped, 1 cup

• carrots, diced, 3/4 cup

• sweet potatoes, diced, 3/4 cup

• fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 can

• 2 lbs or 4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped (preferably beefsteak variety)

• 4 cups of water

Seasonings-

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• basil leaves, fresh or dried

• Italian seasoning, dried, 1 tsp

• salt to taste

• roasted garlic and herb seasoning, 1 Tbsp

Instructions:

• add oil to the pot. Caramelize the onions till nice and brown, add garlic. Toss other veggies to the pot- celery, sweet potatoes, carrots, and saute for 7-8 minutes.

• add fresh and canned tomatoes, cook for 40 minutes on low-medium flame. Keep the pot covered.

• blenderize or use an immersion blender, once it's cool enough. Add in all the seasonings, and warm up before serving. Top it off with fresh basil leaves.

Pro-tips:

• caramelize the onions, sweat the vegetables like mushrooms, celery and carrots, these add the aroma, which is the most important first step in soup making

• stove-top simmering is a great way to make more flavorful soups as compared to the pressure cooking

• a hint of butter on top is totally optional

• soups taste way better the next day, always make enough for leftovers

Try my minestrone soup recipe!

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Give this recipe a try and share how it came out! I would love to hear from you! Enjoy! :)