Smoked Tomato Bisque

Spring is sneaking up on us and I am in the garden frame of mind.  Every year we have an abundance of vegetables that are harvested from my backyard.  Of these vegetables, tomatoes (actually classified as a fruit) has a special place in my heart.  So many things can be done with them from sandwiches to sauces, to salads, to soups.  This is my absolute favorite tomato based soup ever.  Sharing this recipe has me fired up and ready to till my soil.  Bon Apetite.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs of smoked tomatoes, stemmed and quartered (I smoked these creole tomatoes for 2 hours over pecan wood).
• 6 cloves of roasted garlic
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped (I used a Vidalia onion)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• Fresh basil

How to Prepare

1. In a large pot, add the tomatoes, broth, sugar, seasonings, red pepper flakes, onions, and garlic.
2. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the contents of the pot to a food processor and process until smooth.  Be extremely careful using a food processor with hot liquids.
4. Add the cream and pulse to incorporate. 
5. Garnish with basil.

Chef’s Note

This goes very well with a grilled cheese sandwich.