Vegan Tomato Bisque

I LOVE tomato soup and making it homemade is so easy. Here is one of my favorite recipes by Tal Ronnen.

Sea Salt

4 tablespoons of Earth Balance

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

5 cups “fo-chicken broth” (I use Better Than Bouillon)

1 (28-ounce) can whole fire-roasted tomatoes, juice included

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

Fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups cashew cream

parsley for garnish

Cashew Cream:

2 cups whole cashews rinsed very well

Put cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blender with enough fresh cold water to them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until smooth.

soaked cashews

Blended cashews = cashew cream

Tomato Bisque:

1. Place a large stockpot over medium heat. sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat 1 minute. Add the Earth Balance and stir until melted, being careful not to let it burn. This will create a nonstick effect. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and the garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes.

2. Add the stock, tomatoes with juice, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then  add the Cashew Cream. Continue to simmer (do not boil) for 10 minutes.

3. Remove the bay leaf. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt) and blend on high for several minutes, until very smooth. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.

tomato bisque