Food Storage Friday: Tomato-Basil Bisque

One of the reasons I love winter is because of the endless soup possibilities. What is better than having a steaming bowl of soup at night? How about having only one pot to clean out?


This recipe came from Southern Living, this is the original recipe. The only change made was to use dried basil instead of fresh and then make my own buttermilk, easy peasy.



Ingredients: Powder milk, vinegar, water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, basil, and pepper



First step, mix your milk from powder milk and water, and then sour it using 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of milk.



The recipe calls for diced tomatoes, but you can use whole if that's what you have in your pantry. The soup tastes even better if you get your canned tomatoes for free. It creates a warm fuzzy feeling.


If you end up using whole tomatoes, just break them up with your spoon until they are bite size pieces.



I love this new technology of pull-top cans. It's so easy! But beware, we had a reader share how her pull-top tuna opened unnoticed in her 72 hour kit and covered the other food with hairy mold. Keep your pull tops out of your 72 hour kits.



Next add your tomato soup, stir it together.



Add the pepper.



Add the basil. Of course fresh tastes so much better than dried, and if you have that--use it, but this is food storage Friday, remember?





Each year we have a wonderful herb garden that lasts all summer long and I tend to forget about dried spices. Until I need them in the winter. Put Basil on my food supply list.




Next, add the buttermilk. It helps if the buttermilk is at room temperature so it won't curdle. Although my buttermilk has been curdling a lot lately, not quite sure what my problem is.



There isn't any particular order of ingredients. Just dump it all in.



Make sure it's warm all the way through and serve! It hits the spot on those cold days.



Tomato-Basil Bisque
adapted from Southern Living

2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans tomato soup, undiluted
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups buttermilk (made from 2 1/2 cups water, 2/3 cup + 1/6 cup powder milk and 2 + 1/2 tbsp vinegar)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Mix together your milk, sour it with vinegar and let sit. Add tomato soup, diced tomatoes, dried basil, and freshly ground pepper to the pot. Add buttermilk and warm over medium heat until warmed through.