RECIPE: Tomato Bisque

This is not the easiest tomato soup. It's a lot of work, and a lot of pots, but it's the best flavor I've ever found.  My husband declared it's his "new favorite soup" ("new" because I haven't made it in 15 years!).  The original recipe was in Bon Appetit's January 1980 issue and is no longer available so here are my notes.

Tomato Bisque

serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

• For the tomato base:
• 1/4 pound bacon
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 large onions, minced (about 1.5 cups)
• 6 celery stalks, minced (about 1 cup)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 t. dried thyme 
• 28 oz can tomatoes, diced with their juice*
• 6 oz tomato paste*
• For the cream base: 
• 2 T. butter
• 3 T. flour (I used oat flour)
  
• 1 quart cream (I used 2 c. evaporated farm milk** + 2 cups cream)
• 1/2 large onion, minced (about 1 cup)
• 1 bay leaf 
• 2 whole cloves 
• For serving:
• 2 t. salt
• 1/4 - 1 t. cayenne pepper depending on your heat tolerance (I use espelette)
• OPTIONAL: halloumi croutons
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat heat butter in a large saucepan on medium heat.  Stir in flour and simmer stirring constantly for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and slowly add cream, whisking constantly, then the minced onion, 1 bay leaf and cloves.    Cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (Mine was nice and thick after 30 minutes so I turned the heat to very low until the tomato base was ready.)

Meanwhile:

Cook bacon in a large skillet until fat is rendered.  Remove meat (use as desired).

Add garlic to fat and saute on medium until light brown - don't let it burn.  Add the minced onion, celery, bay leaf, and thyme.  Saute until onion is transparent.  Add tomatoes with juice and tomato paste.   Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain the cream base through a fine-mesh strainer into the tomato mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.  

Add milk if a thinner consistency is preferred.

Can be reheated. 

*During tomato season, I home-can roasted tomato puree.  I use 2 cups of this puree, plus a 4-5 whole tomatoes (either canned or fresh) peeled and seeded, instead of the 28oz can of tomatoes and the tomato paste. You can see the jar of roasted tomato puree at the back of the photo below.

**When I have farm milk that needs to be used I pour it into a stock pot and simmer it on medium heat until it is reduced by 60%, then I strain it into quart jars and refrigerated it.  The dog LOVES the milk solids I strain out.  I used 2 cups of this as half of the cream in this recipe.  

Ingredients for tomato bisque excluding salt and espelette

Tomato bisque without croutons