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Writer's pictureHolly McGrath

Tomato Bisque

This recipe is inspired by the Emotional dimension of wellness.


Emotional wellness is about feeling and being in touch with your emotions. It is also about managing your emotions so that your life doesn’t fall apart each time something doesn’t go your way. It involves controlling your reactions when disaster strikes and learning that your response is a choice you make but one that takes time to develop.


“I think that women just have a primeval instinct to make soup, which they will try to foist on anybody who looks like a likely candidate.” - Dylan Moran

Do you ever have those days where you feel like something is off? Where you just feel blah: not deeply depressed, but feeling a sense of malaise? On this particular day, I was feeling out of sorts for some reason, and I felt the need to make soup. Being the introspective person that I am, I began to wonder about the correlation between our emotions and the healing benefits a good pot of soup can have for your soul. But first, I needed to dig down into my emotions and figure out why I was feeling this way.

“You’re always one decision away from a totally different life.” - Mark Batterson

As I was chopping and peeling the vegetables for this delicious tomato bisque, I began to reflect on the last few years of my life. If I have learned anything about myself, it's that I seem to like change. In fact, I have endured so many life changes it would make one's head spin like the head of Linda Blair in the movie, The Exorcist. I began to wonder, do I really like change or have I just learned to embrace it as the cards I’ve been dealt? Now, many of the changes in my life have been good ones, but even the changes that bring happiness can also wreak havoc on the healthiest of psyches.

In the last thirty years, I have been married three times (you read that correctly), and in the last three years, I have moved five times (yes, five!) The most recent move was across the country to our new permanent home in Florida. Although I am extremely excited to be living in Florida, I had lived in the Chicago area my entire life, so this was an especially big change! So, you can imagine why I was feeling out of sorts. I left all my family back in Illinois to include my precious grandsons - all four of them! Ordinarily, I'm extremely in touch with my feelings and can usually pinpoint what's making me feel off, but on this day, I was perplexed. I had just moved into a beautiful home and life was good, right? That's when I decided to get back into the kitchen where I do my deepest thinking and kick myself back into gear!


“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” - Wayne Dyer

So, here is my assessment on why cooking a pot of soup is therapeutic. I believe we all have this inherent social aspect when we cook for either ourselves or for others. When you’re chopping and peeling, you can start with nothing and hours later have something that’s delicious and beautiful. When I'm feeling stressed or out of control, cooking allows me to give back to others: specifically, the ones I am cooking for. And, soup has an enveloping quality that brings amazing comfort to the soul. According to Psychology Today, our brains are wired to make a connection between physical warmth and social warmth. So you can see how making a pot of soup has benefits not only from a physical health perspective, but also from a mental health perspective. In my case, making soup not only nourished me but also helped me figure out why I was not feeling myself.

“When we deny the story, it defines us. When we own the story, we can write a brave new ending.” - Brene Brown

Recipe of the Day: Tomato Bisque



INGREDIENTS

  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

  • 1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

  • Chopped leek, white and light green parts only (from 2 large)

  • 3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

  • 4 cup whole milk

  • 2 cup heavy cream

  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • Grated Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley for garnish


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion, and leek. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

  2. Add tomatoes, milk, cream, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat.

  3. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until flavors are blended and soup is slightly thickened, 30 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Serve hot, garnished with Parmesan and parsley.

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