Tomato Bisque Soup

Hi foodies, I am so excited to share my next recipe with you all today! It's been raining here in Texas for last few days and one of my most favorite food to eat on the rainy days is warm and comforting soup. I absolutely love Tomato Bisque soup for any meal of the day but especially on those gloomy dull days. I feel so lazy on the rainy days that I want to minimize my time in the kitchen. This warm soup can be made with a very few ingredients from the pantry and doesn't require a lot of efforts. The simple yet hearty soup is easy to prepare and can be enjoyed as an appetizer, a side or a meal in itself! 

So the first question that would arise in our mind is whether the Tomato Bisque soup is same as Tomato soup. The simple answer is No, these two are different. The Tomato Bisque has creamy, rich and velvety texture that is achieved by adding cream while the traditional Tomato soup doesn't use this key ingredient. The best part is you can make this soup vegan by just substituting the cream and butter with the full fat coconut milk and nut butter or oil, respectively. So anyone can enjoy this luscious soup without compromising on the texture. 

My family devours this soup every time I make it, and trust me, I make it very often as I am one of the biggest fan of tomatoes. Growing up, me and my sister both were fond of tomatoes so much that my mom had to buy surplus tomatoes for us every time she gets groceries. We would gobble down tomatoes as if they were apples! Even now my grocery would always include tomatoes and if I don't have it on my list my husband would get them for me just in case...

Since tomatoes are the star ingredient for today's recipe, let me first share some health benefits of eating tomatoes. According to various sources, tomatoes are full of antioxidants from Vitamin C,

 

specifically lycopene, which helps reduce risks of heart disease and cancer. Tomatoes are also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, K1 and potassium. Vitamin A helps improve vision and skin while vitamin K is good for bones, and potassium helps control blood pressure. Also, tomatoes are low in calories and carbs and has almost zero fats!

So without further delay, let's get started with the recipe...

Tomato Bisque soup 

Serves 4-6

Prepare time 10 minutes

Cook time 15-20 minutes

Additional notes/ Tips

• There are two different ways you can make this warm delicious soup. You can either make it in an electric cooker or in a pressure cooker. I have made the soup using electric cooker but I will share the recipe for both. 
• You can use either fresh tomatoes or canned tomato puree. I have used canned tomato puree. If you are using fresh ripe tomatoes, then blanch them first by adding them to boiling water for about a minute. Run under cold water and peel the skin off. Next de-seed the tomatoes and dice them. This step requires additional 10 minutes.
• To reduce the amount of heavy cream, I have also added some soaked nuts. If you wish to go with just the cream, then double the cream quantity from the recipe. 
• You can easily make this soup vegan by adding full fat coconut milk (canned) instead of heavy cream. 
• Increase quantity of dried basil, if you don't have fresh sweet basil handy. 

Ingredients

1 Can tomato puree or sauce (28 oz)  

2 Medium carrots chopped

2 Sticks of celery chopped (optional)

1 Small or 1/2 Medium white onion chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil or butter

Handful of fresh sweet basil leaves (optional)

1/4 Tsp dried basil

1/4 Tsp thyme (optional)

1/4 Tsp dried oregano

1/2 Tsp black pepper powder

1/4 Cup heavy cream

Handful of soaked cashews or almonds (soak for at least 30-45 minutes prior)

2 Cups of water or vegetable stock

1 Tbsp honey or sugar

Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat up oil or butter in the electric cooker or pressure cooker.

                                                     

Add chopped white onion and minced garlic. Saute for about a minute until raw smell of garlic is gone.

                                                     

Add carrots and celery (optional), saute for 2 minutes until onions turn translucent.

                                                         

Add Tomato puree or diced tomatoes, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, salt, black pepper powder soaked nuts, and water or vegetable stock. 

         

Stir well, close the lid of the cooker. Set the electric cooker on pressure cook at high pressure for 9 minutes. If you are using pressure cooker, cook it for about 15-20 minutes and 4-5 whistles. 

Turn off the heat, and safely quick-release the pressure of the electric cooker. For traditional cooker, let the pressure release naturally.

Open the lid, stir in chopped sweet basil leaves, honey/sugar and heavy cream. Blend to a smooth puree using immersion blender.

Transfer soup to serving bowl and garnish with basil leaves and cream. Serve with toasted bread sticks.

 

                   

Thai Red Curry

Hi foodies, its time for another delicious flavorful recipe! Today, I am going to share a very easy-to-prepare recipe for the Thai Red Curry. 

I am fond of Asian cuisines including Thai, mostly because the preparations are distinct in flavor! They are rich in texture and have complex flavors that suits perfectly for my foodie palate as I am all about flavors and spices. What attracts me more to Thai curries is the ease of adding versatile veggies along with protein. It makes a complete meal when combined with white, brown or fried rice. 

The base gravy for Thai red curry is prepared using Coconut milk. It makes the curry rich and creamy.  Consuming Coconut milk in moderation could provide some great health benefits as they are high in mineral and vitamins including calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. 

The other important ingredient in this curry is Tofu. According to some sources, Tofu was originally called "Okabe" until early 1400s. It didn't come to western world until around mid 1900s. In fact I wasn't even aware of this protein rich alternative to meat until early 2000s. Since we are making vegetarian version of the curry, I highly recommend to add protein in the form of Tofu. Apart from providing high contents of protein, this substitute of meat is low in calories and is an excellent source for calcium and iron. Additionally, it contains all essential amino acids, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin B-1. Tofu has zero cholesterol in it and may also help reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) in our bodies. I would suggest you try to include Tofu if you are able to find it in the nearby grocery store.

One more key ingredient in this recipe is the rainbow of vegetables. As I mentioned earlier, the recipe is so flexible that you can add versatile vegetables of your liking. The more vegetables the merrier the curry. Needless to say that vegetables have abundance of nutrients, you can take your pick! Apart from being low on fats and calories, mostly all the vegetables are high in dietary fibers and are loaded with minerals and vitamins. You could experiment with different vegetables each time you make this delicious warm curry! 

So let me bring to all of you, my version of Thai red curry loaded with vegetables and tofu.

Tips (Additional notes) - 

• Any assortment of vegetables can be used for this curry. Here is a list of some popular vegetables for this curry - broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, bamboo shoots, cauliflower, etc.   
• It is absolutely okay to use store bought red curry paste, as sometimes it is difficult to find all the ingredients needed to prepare it at home. I use store bought vegetarian curry paste free of shrimp or fish oil. Be sure to check the ingredients before buying any store brands. 
• Try to use full fat or premium coconut milk to add richness to the curry.
• You can use dry basil if fresh sweet basil is not available.
• Tofu is optional, I like using firm or extra firm. You can also saute them in a pan before adding to the curry. 
• If you are omitting tofu then you  may want to add more vegetables to the curry.
• Simply increase coconut milk and water quantity if you like more gravy.

Ingredients -

Serves 4

Prepare time - 10 minutes 

Cook time - 25-30 minutes 

1/2 Green bell pepper 
1 Carrot     
6-8 Mushrooms 

4-5 Baby corn 

10-12 String beans
Handful of Sweet basil leaves 

            

1 Can Coconut milk (Preferably full fat/premium)

1/2 Block Tofu (Optional - Preferably firm or extra firm)
2 Tbsp Red curry paste 
1 1/2 Tbsp Oil
2 Tsp Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Lemon juice/ 1 Tsp Vinegar
1 Tbsp Peanut butter (Optional) 
1 Tbsp Honey/ Sugar
1/2 Cup Water

1 Tsp Sriracha (optional)
Salt to taste

                                          

Instructions - 

Evenly slice all the vegetables including carrot, bell pepper, string beans, baby corns and mushrooms. I sliced them about 1/3" thick. This is important to ensure veggies are cooked evenly. 

                                          

Heat up oil in a wok or a pan, and add all the sliced vegetables except mushrooms. 

Saute the veggies for about a minute or until the veggies are slightly cooked. Then add mushrooms and saute for another 2-3 minutes. We want the veggies to remain crunchy and not become soft or overcooked.

Now add salt, soy sauce, red curry paste, peanut butter and honey/sugar to the vegetables. Mix the spices and sauce well without breaking the sliced vegetables. 

Add coconut milk and water to the veggies. Keep the flame on low and let the curry simmer for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles start forming and oil begins to separate.

Add lemon juice or vinegar to the curry. Cover the pan and let the vegetables soak all the flavors for about a minute.

Simmer on a medium flame for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the desired consistency of the curry is achieved and the vegetables have softened to your liking.  

Finally, add sliced tofu and roughly chopped sweet basil leaves. Gently mix the tofu in the curry. Simmer for one more minute.

Turn off the flame, transfer the curry to a bowl, and garnish with sweet basil leaves.

                                     

Serve this warm comforting curry in a plate with either white, brown or fried rice. You can also sprinkle some red chili flakes or add some sriracha for a little more punch.