Roasted Tomato Basil Bisque

The second that the first crisp breeze comes in to signify that autumn is around the corner, I immediately think about soup season. The soup I always fall back on because it's never let me down is a classic tomato basil soup. I think that since I blend it smooth with cream that it's technically a bisque, so that's what we're going to call it. If it's not technically a bisque, let me know in the comments. Regardless, it's technically delicious and I often will make this when hosting a dinner party, or if going somewhere during football season.

The best part of this recipe is that if you grow tomatoes or basil in the garden, this is the perfect way to utilize them! Plus, this recipe is perfectly great if you freeze it and then thaw it out for future use. If you're feeling indulgent, add on a nice grilled cheese to eat along side of it.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs of tomatoes. Roma tends to be the best but use what you have or prefer

• 1 white onion

• 1 head of garlic

• 3 cups of vegetable stock

• 4oz tomato paste

• 1 cup of fresh basil leaves

• 1 cup of heavy cream

• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

• 1 tsp sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425F.

2. Roast Tomatoes and Veggies: Place tomatoes on sheet pan, chop the onion into 1/2 inch slices and place on the pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste. Wrap the whole garlic head in aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place all veggies and garlic on the sheet pan (use two if needed or if you're doubling the recipe). Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

3. Once veggies are roasted, preheat a large pot (or stock pot) over medium heat. Once preheated, pour in about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onions from the roasting tray as well as the Italian seasoning, and the tomato paste. Once everything is fragrant and the tomato paste has turned a dark brick red color, add in the roasted tomatoes and all the roasting juices from the pan.

4. Remove garlic from aluminum foil. Squeeze the garlic cloves out. BE CAREFUL since this may still be quite hot. I recommend squeezing the garlic out with tongs.

5. Add vegetable stock, sugar and basil to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-30 minutes.

6. Once it has simmered, take an immersion blender and blend until smooth.

7. Add heavy cream 1/4 cup at a time to taste. If you want to use more or less based on your preference, do so! Stir to combine.

8. Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh basil and/or a drizzle of high quality olive oil or drops of heavy cream.

Tips and Best Practices

• Season and taste as you go. You don't want the soup to lack flavor. If the tomatoes are too acidic, add a touch more sugar. If you like it spicy, add some red pepper flakes!

• If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Although, you'll need to be careful and make sure the vent is open otherwise it'll explode when you open it back up and no one wants to clean up all that tomato soup from the ceiling, walls, and floor. Don't ask me how I know this.