With the weather getting colder, I find myself gravitating to soups to fill me up. I’ve made it my mission this year to learn how to make many soups because they’re typically pretty easy to make and you can freeze them for later too! The difference between a delicious bowl of soup and a mediocre one is taste – and this recipe uses soy sauce in place of salt and a nice, smooth, creamy cheese to give it that nice sharp taste.

“Soy sauce?” you may ask, but I’ve been using soy sauce in my spaghetti sauces for years – I thought, why not try it with soup? And it came out remarkably good – it gives the soup a bit more of a tangy taste to it (but don’t overdo it with the soy sauce).

dairy farmers of canada sylvan star tomato bisque

This month, in collaboration with the Dairy Farmers of Canada, I was sent Sylvan Star Cheese hailing from Red Deer, Alberta by the Schalkwyk family that immigrated from the Netherlands and decided to carry on their ancestor’s footsteps in creating cheese. Their specialty is all types of Canadian Gouda, which have won many awards. The cheese I’m using in this recipe is called Grizzly, a beautiful and fragrant Gouda. It has a nice creamy texture with slightly nutty undertones when you enjoy it on its own.

Using Canadian cheese is not only a top priority for me when I cook, but a staple in our household. It’s so important to appreciate the cheese crafters here in Canada because on a world stage, they could stand shoulder to shoulder with the best creators out there.

Grizzly Tomato Bisque Soup

Ingredients:

½ cup Sylvan Star Grizzly Gouda cheese, shredded

1 48oz can of San Marzano diced/crushed tomatoes (if you can’t find San Marzano, regular tomatoes will do too)

1 small can of tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic

1/4 bunch of parsley, chopped finely

2-4 basil leaves, chopped finely

2 tablespoons butter

pepper, to taste

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot and on medium heat, add butter.
  2. Add onion and garlic to the pot and sauté until onions are translucent.
  3. In a blender (you can also use an immersion blender), transfer the onion and garlic and add all ingredients except yogurt and blend until smooth.
  4. Add all ingredients back into the pot and simmer on a low-medium setting for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Add Greek yogurt and stir.
  6. Sprinkle Grizzly cheese generously on top.
  7. Enjoy as is, or sprinkle croutons on top!

dairy farmers of canada sylvan star tomato bisque

To learn more about Sylvan Star cheese, visit their website here: http://www.sylvanstarcheesefarm.ca/

To learn more about the Dairy Farmers of Canada, visit their website here: http://canadiancheese.ca