Tomato Bisque

Based on the recipe from Food Network Kitchens
Makes enough for all 13 Oesterle staff to eat with Chicken Louis and salad

Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 slices bacon, cut into smallish pieces
• 1 large-ish yellow onion
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid)
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 3-4 springs of fresh parsley
• 3 -4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup heavy cream or half and half or whole milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 1 minute. Remove the bacon from the pot and eat it or throw it away. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste (smoosh the tomatoes with your spoon or whisk) and bring to a boil while whisking constantly-ish to avoid flour lumps. Toss in the parsley, thyme and bay. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or so. Remove from heat. You may want to allow the soup to cool slightly before the next step—or just be careful.

Remove and discard the herbs. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. (An immersion blender would work well for this part.) Using a sieve over a large bowl, strain the tomato puree. Return the puree to the pot and reheat over medium heat

Stir the cream/milk into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among warm soup bowls and serve immediately.

OR For the crock pot, I cooked the soup on the stove. After blending, I strained it into the crock pot, added the cream and stuck it in the fridge. I reheated it in the crock pot the next morning, adding the salt and pepper at that time.

Emily Prather-Rodgers
Technical Services Coordinator