This recipe took 3rd place in the 2016 Chili / Soup competition at my work. It is very good. Based on this recipe from the Little French Bakery Blog (which is originally from the Oven of Brittany restaurant in Madison Wisconsin, which appears to have closed in 1985. A cookbook of theirs is still available though: Ovens of Brittany Cookbook). Sous Vide is not required to make- but’s handy to keep at a good serving temperature prior to serving. Bisque can separate at a higher temperature. My changes to this were to use a little frozen green pepper instead of one whole fresh green pepper, and to double up on the Basil leaves. The original recipe is shown below. Enjoy!
Tomato Bisque Soup
- 1 stick of butter, plus 2 T
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 quart milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cans (large) diced or whole peeled tomatoes (diced and crushed if whole)
- 1-2 fresh chopped tomatoes
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons dried Basil leaves
- dash of cayenne pepper and/or tabasco to taste
- 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper (to taste)
In a large saucepan, melt the stick of butter. Add the flour and stir quickly to create a roux. Cook for a minute two, then stirring/whisking constantly, add the milk. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken. Then add the cream. Continue stirring/cooking until the mixture thickens. Do not heat to a boil. Remove from the heat.
In another stock pot or large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 T of butter. Saute and onions, green pepper and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and basil and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes. If you like the texture a more uniform, use an immersion blender to further chop the cooked tomato pieces. Be sure to reduce the heat to barely a simmer, then add the white sauce. Add the cayenne and/or tabasco and adjust seasonings. Hold under a boil to prevent separation.
