Tomato Bisque

We made this wonderful tomato bisque soup last week when the temperatures started to get colder and it really hit the spot.  The arborio rice and coconut milk gave this soup it’s creamy texture and the San Marzano tomatoes gave it a nice sweet tomato taste.  I’ve made so many soups lately with this being one of our favorites.  I’m actually planning to make it again for tonights dinner.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons uncooked arborio rice
• 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, divided
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion and celery with a pinch of salt until onion is translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour vegetable broth and tomatoes into onion mixture. Bring to a simmer and season with paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Turn heat to medium low and stir rice into soup and simmer until rice and vegetables are very tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Add sugar.
• Blend soup with an immersion blender in the pot until smooth. Whisk 1/2 cup coconut milk into soup and adjust levels of salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and sugar. If soup is too thick, add more broth; if soup is too thin, cook, stirring often, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Ladle into warmed bowls; garnish each bowl with chopped basil and mozzarella cheese.