Gluten Free Tomato Bisque.. Paleo and Primal friendly, and Vegetarian

I have such fun shooting quick little homemade cooking videos for you guys. I blogged about making this soup a few weeks back for a friend that was sick, but I wanted to list out the recipe for you here and post the vid directly. I’m all about making life a little simpler for all.

Did you know that most “bisque” soup recipes use flour as a thickener? This means for those that are paleo, gluten free, or low carb… bisque is out. I found an easy way to make a creamy bisque without adding any flour. This recipe is simplicity itself, and it is meant to be, but it would be lovely with the addition of your choice of protein. Lobster Bisque, anyone?

Sarah’s Easy Gluten Free Tomato Bisque

3-4 cloves chopped fresh garlic
2 heaping Tablespoons Italian Herb blend
Two 28 oz cans/jars of organic diced tomatoes, drained of their juice
1/2 organic cream or half n half (leave out if paleo)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grass fed butter or ghee, a few tablespoons
Cheese to top.

Finely chop your garlic and add to a medium sized heavy bottomed pot, with your choice of fat. I used butter, but ghee or olive oil would work. Sizzle your garlic for 2-3 minutes on medium low heat. Add your herb blend and let it warm through. Add in your drained tomatoes and mix well, breaking up the diced tomatoes a bit. Add your salt and pepper to season and leave this to simmer for 15-20 minutes on low. At this point, you can add your cream and blend with a hand blender, and call it chunky goodness.

Or.. to take it to the next level.. simply add the soup to your high powered blender and puree. Please be very careful when adding hot liquid to your blender. Use your lid vent, and start the blender on low, and only fill it halfway. The key to getting creamy bisque is the addition of fats, while the blender is on. If you simply add melted butter or ghee to hot soup, it won’t work, aka emulsify. So, while your blender is on medium low, you can either slowly add a few tablespoons of ghee (paleo) or drop in some chunks of grass fed butter. The soup will turn a deep orange in color and become silky smooth. It’s quite a thing of beauty to watch. And to eat. Make sure to check your seasonings at this final stage and add more s and p if necessary.

That’s it. I was amazed at how creamy the soup was with this trick. Serve with gluten free bread, or add some Asiago cheese. Heaven. Whatever way you make it, please add some type of fat. Not only does it make the soup more satisfying, it allows your body to absorb all those vitamins in the tomatoes. Fat soluble vitamins need good fat to be absorbed.

As spring is upon us, and summer is near, this bisque would be lovely for a brunch. It can be served room temp or chilled with a fresh spring salad. So many choices! Have fun choosing.

Happy Eating.