Smoked Tomato Bisque
A creamy and indulgent vegetarian tomato bisque made with fresh smoked tomatoes.
Servings: 6 servings
Cost: $12
Ingredients
For the smoked tomatoes:
- 6 large beefsteak tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tablespoon Old bay spice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups vegetarian stock (can use chicken stock too)
- 4 cups of the smoked tomatoes and their juices
- 3 sprigs of thyme, tied together with string (or chopped)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Instructions
To Smoke the Tomatoes:
- Prep your smoker to 250 degrees, using fruit wood such as cherry or apple.
- Toss your tomatoes with olive oil, old bay seasoning, salt, and pepper, and place them on a foil lined sheet pan. Smoke them for up to 2 hours.
- Remove from smoker and peel the skins from the tomatoes while they are still warm.
To Make the Bisque:
- Heat the butter in a large soup pot set to medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-9 minutes (until soft). Add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
- Add the stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and thyme (wrapped in kitchen twine), and lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- Using a hand immersion blender (or counter top blender), blend the soup until smooth.
- Whisk in the cream, add any additional salt and pepper to your preference. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
For a non-vegetarian version, begin the soup with 2 thick pieces of diced bacon. Remove bacon pieces and discard half the bacon fat. Then move on to step 1 (butter, veggies, etc). Then top the soup with the reserved crispy bacon pieces.
If you don't have a smoker, simply roast the tomatoes in an oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 30 minutes or they start to brown slightly. Then peel the tomatoes and follow the recipe for the bisque.