Roasted Vegetable Bisque. This bisque came about out of the need to try something different. I wanted a soup that was more than just tomatoes but with the same warmth as a tomato soup. The more I thought of what I wanted out of the soup the more veggies I incorporated into the recipe. Ending with a kettle full of bisque that lasted for days. This bisque is rich in flavor and texture. Full of warmth and earthiness. I served it with arugula, pear, and prosciutto grilled cheeses, and it really hit the spot.
Table of contents
What is the difference between a bisque and a soup?
Thedifferencebetween.net does a great job explaining the differences between a soup and a bisque, but in layman terms, the soup is liquid base, and the bisque has a cream added earlier in the cooking process. Another difference, which is not detailed in the link above, is that for the most part, bisques are made with crustaceans, although not all bisques are seafood-based.
How do I define bisques and soups? To me a soup, although some soups do have creams in them, tends to have a more fluid consistency than a bisque. A bisque is thicker than a soup, yet silkier than a puree. Most often, a soup would have also protein and vegetables that you can bite into, whereas the bisque does not, other than a possible garnish of croutons, or a crustacean (if the bisque is to taste like such).
Some of the Key Ingredients to this Roasted Vegetable Bisque
For this bisque, I wanted to hit all major basic ingredients; carrots, celery, garlic, tomatoes, and onions. Funny thing is that in my rush, I forgot the onion, so it is up to you to add them if you like. The other ingredients that were used were:
Squashes. Both zucchini and yellow (summer) squash. The goal for this bisque was to incorporate as many vegetables as possible, and zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables, so it had to be added to the list. I have to say, I do not feel the same way for summer squash, so I added it as well because I know it is good for me and I would not see it once blended. Yes, it is a bit childish, but hey, I am eating my veggies!!
Eggplant. Wow, what odd addition, and I thought that adding it might throw the entire recipe off, but no. The result was a delicious flavor. I did peel the eggplant before roasting, only because I did not want to have to deal with the skin during blending. Eggplant brings tones of earthiness to the dish.
Leeks. So, I forgot the onions, but not the leeks, and that counts a lot. Also another source of grounding flavor. Leeks do not have the same sweetness as onions. They are sweet, but not as much as onions. Instead, they retain a robust flavor that is unmistakable without being overpowering.
Rutabaga. Once again, wow! I do not normally eat rutabagas, but wanted to start. So you might ask, "how do you know you like it if it is all blended in a soup?" The answer, because I like the bisque. I have eaten rutabagas before, I just do not eat them all the time. With a pop of flavor, and slight sweetness, rutabaga, helped make this dish amazingly perfect.
Maybe it is because I made the soup and I know what I put in it, but on occasion, a few ingredients pop in my palette and rutabaga is one of them. A welcoming surprise.
Variations
So the first time I made this bisque I did not use beets. The second time, I added beets and acorn squash. Now, to some, beets are an acquired taste, which can throw the flavor of the bisque. I personally like the flavor of the beets. It gives the bisque a sweet tone and bright color, which I find lacking in my first bisque. I also used Spicewalla Herbs de Provençe, which I did not use the first time around. It was a different brand with a different flavor profile. Spicewalla's Herbs de Provençe have a delicate lavender undertone, which to me gives depth to the bisque. To try Spicewalla's Herbs de Provence or any other of their delicious
Other Uses for this Bisque
Like I had said before. When I made this bisque there was so much product I thought, I was going to grow sick of it before I could finish it all. Well, as I was storing the bisque away I thought, what if I were to use the bisque as a sauce for pasta? or even a protein. The result was a very tasty success.
To use as a sauce for pasta or protein, warm up on a saute pan and toss the cooked pasta into the sauce. You can thin the sauce with a splash of wine, either white or red would work, and top with julienned basil and freshly shredded parmesan cheese. If you want to make it even more substantial, pull shredded pieces of a store-bought rotisserie chicken and toss them with the pasta.
Making Roasted Vegetable Bisque
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Large Dice all your veggies. For this bisque, I used one eggplant, two zucchinis, two heirloom tomatoes, one package of grape tomatoes, about a cup of garlic cloves, one leek, two to three carrots, three celery stalks, and two rutabagas. I peeled the eggplant, but not the rutabagas nor the zucchini, I rinsed the rutabagas and removed the tiny roots.
Place the vegetables on cookie sheets with borders. Sprinkle vegetables with olive oil, herbs de provençe, salt, and pepper. Roast vegetables in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred.
In batches, place the vegetables in a blender and puree until smooth.
At this point, you can take the mixture and sieve it through a fine-mesh colander to create a super smooth textured bisque. I personally like the bit of texture that just pureeing creates, so I skip straining the bisque. As you blend the bisque in batches, pour the pureed mixture into a kettle or large saucepot.
Once all the veggies are pureed and in the pot, set the burner to medium heat and pour one cup of heavy cream or creme fraiche. I came across this creme fraiche product at my local supermarket and found it to be a delicious substitute for cream.
The bisque is thick so, I adjusted the thickness of the bisque with vegetable broth. Heat through and serve with oil and garlic toasted baguette pieces or a pear, arugula, and prosciutto sandwich.
Related links
📖 Recipe
Roasted Vegetable Bisque
Ingredients
- One eggplant
- Two zucchinis
- Two heirloom tomatoe
- One package of grape tomatoes
- About a cup of garlic cloves
- One leek
- Two to three carrots
- Three celery stalks
- Two rutabagas.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Large Dice all your veggies.
- Place the vegetables on cookie sheets with borders.
- Sprinkle vegetables with olive oil, herbs de provençe, salt, and pepper.
- Roast vegetables in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred.
- In batches, place the vegetables in a blender and puree until smooth.
- At this point, you can take the mixture and sieve it through a fine-mesh colander to create a super smooth textured bisque. I personally like the bit of texture that just pureeing creates, so I skip straining the bisque. As you blend the bisque in batches, pour the pureed mixture into a kettle or large saucepot.
- Once all the veggies are pureed and in the pot, set the burner to medium heat and pour one cup of heavy cream or creme fraiche. I came across this creme fraiche product at my local supermarket and found it to be a delicious substitute for cream.
- The bisque is thick so, I adjusted the thickness of the bisque with vegetable broth. Heat through and serve with oil and garlic toasted baguette pieces or a pear, arugula, and prosciutto sandwich.
Notes
- I peeled the eggplant, but not the rutabagas nor the zucchini, I rinsed the rutabagas and removed the tiny roots.
