Today in North Dakota, the wind is blowing in hurricane force fashion leaving garrbage cans thrown throughout the streets, the fall porch decorations scattered about, and the leaves are blowing all over the place. It is a day to stay in and cook some soup.
One of my favorite soups is the Tomato Basil Bisque from Primo Restaurant. It is such a thick and hearty soup that sticks with a person and takes the chill away. I found a recipe that has a similar flavor to the soup at Primo, but I added rice to make it that much more like the soup they serve.
The recipe that I used is from The Recipe Critic and I followed it exactly with the exception of adding 1/2 cup more chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice.
Tomato Basil and Rice Bisque
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 dash Italian seasoning
2 (28 fluid ounce) cans whole San Marzano tomatoes (with juices)
1.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (or to taste)
12 leaves fresh basil (torn)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions Add the oil, butter, and onion to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 5-7 minutes or until it's lightly browned.
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning, followed by the tomatoes and chicken broth.
Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes, covered, with the lid slightly ajar.
Blend the soup (I like to use an immersion blender) until it's smooth (you may want to let it cool a little bit first). Stir in the cream, rice, and basil and season with salt & pepper as needed.
San Marzano tomatoes are grown in the Agro Sarnese Nocerino of the Sarno River valley near Mount Vesuvius, where volcanic soils are said to produce sweeter, less acidic tomatoes.
Their flavor is lovely and well worth finding them and using them in this recipe.
Let me know if you try this recipe. I hope it gives you a sense of cozy when you eat it!