Heating Things Up From The Inside Out

There is nothing like a freezing stormy day that adds to the atmosphere of cooking up a great pot of soup. I just love brewing up a hearty soups and when the wind is blowing hard enough to rattle the windows it inspires me to create a soup that will warm you right down to your toes.

This weeks recipe is for our Roasted tomato and Pesto Bisque Soup. Now don't let the term bisque scare you. This recipe was created to pack in the flavor and bulk up the soup without adding tons of cream.

Roasted Tomato & Pesto Bisque

5 lbs of ripe Roma Tomatoes or you can use cherry tomatoes if you wish
2 large carrots
1 onion
8 quarts of vegetable broth
2 cups of half and half
1 quart of tomato juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3 bay leaves
Kosher Salt
Coarse black pepper
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 cup of basil pesto (pre-made is ok)


cut your tomatoes into quarter pieces, removing the core.
spread in a cookie sheet and coat with oil, then salt, pepper and garlic.
place in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until caramelized.
remove and set aside.

mince your carrots and onion in the food processor.
Do this by pulsing until they are finely minced but not made into liquid

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and unsalted butter in the a heavy bottom stock pot.
Add minced onion and carrot and saute until soft.
Sprinkle your flour over the sauteed veggies and slowly add in your
vegetable stock and tomato juice.
Add your caramelized tomatoes and bay leaves, let this simmer on the stove for 30 minutes.

Remove your bay leaves, then using your stick blender, blend the soup until smooth.

At this point taste your soup and salt and pepper to taste.

Take your 2 cups of half and half pour it into a cup and add some of the hot soup, as to temper
the cream so it will not curdle.
Now stir the half and half into the remainder of the soup.

This soup should be creamy and smooth but not thin.
Some tomatoes are juicier than others, if you find at this point
that your soup is too thin, prepare a simple butter and flour roux in a sauce pan
and add this to your soup to thicken it up to your liking. Do not boil your soup once you
have added the cream to avoid it separating.

Ladle the soup into a bowls and drizzle the pesto into the top.

This soup is striking to look at and amazing to eat!

enjoy!

If your feeling ambitious, cut up some leftover bread into small chunks
toss in a bowl with oil, parmasan cheese and salt and pepper.

Place in oven or fryer to create some great croutons.
Drop a few into your soup.