Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Bisque

This is perhaps not a bisque in a traditional sense, but being incredibly creamy and luscious in a bisque-like way, this soup takes the monotony out of just plain old "soup"!

As much as vanilla gets teased for being plain and simple, it is an enduring, timeless, classic. No future generation will forget about vanilla.  Along those lines, plain old tomato soup will always remain a universal favorite. Nothing beats the snuggly flavor and ticklish tartness of a hearty bowl of tomato soup. If you decide to roast the tomatoes and make the soup creamy, you will be loved and blessed by all. 

My favorite brand of packaged soups is Pacific Foods. Their roasted red pepper & tomato soup is one of my most loved soups. For the longest time, they were known only in the Pacific North West, so my memories of this soup are associated with my years of living in that gorgeous, beautiful region. This soup used to be my comforting friend during sick days and bad days. The world just seems a better place when you have this soup and take a nap. So this is my version of trying to recreate the wonderful original. 

I didn't flavor this soup with any herbs or spices because the elegant taste of this soup comes from the roasted vegetables/fruits (tomato and peppers are fruits, didya know!). Simplicity should not be messed with, so I just seasoned with black pepper and salt.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1. 4 tomatoes, halved (any kind of tomato works)
2. 3 red bell-peppers, cut vertically down the stem, and de-seeded
3. 1 large red onion, quartered
4. 5 cloves of garlic (roasted garlic is not in the least pungent, but is extremely flavorful and sweet!)
5. 2 tablespoons olive oil
6. 1 teaspoon salt
7. 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
8. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
9. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
10. 2 cups milk  or half & half (warmed for 3 minutes in the microwave)
11. 2 cups vegetable stock / broth (or just water)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a large baking sheet arrange the cut tomatoes (cut-side facing up), bell-peppers (cut side facing up) and onion. Wrap the garlic cloves in some aluminum foil and place on the baking sheet. Coat everything (except garlic) with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 45 minutes.
2. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add all-purpose flour and whisk it into the butter for 3-5 minutes until the flour cooks and turns a pale brown (a roux)
3. Add the warm/hot milk and whisk it into the roux. Keep stirring on medium heat. In 5-10 minutes the milk would have thickened to make a classic white sauce (bechamel). Add remaining salt and pepper to it (and any cheese if you would like to add).
4. Add the roasted vegetables/fruits to the bechamel and grind with an immersion blender. Then add vegetable stock. (Else grind the roasted vegetables with vegetable stock and add it to the bechamel.). Adjust salt & pepper and let the soup simmer for 10-15 minutes on low heat. 

Remove from heat and  serve with bread and some black pepper.

Variation: Roasted Pepper & Tomato Hummus - Grind the roasted pepper, tomato, onion, and garlic with 1 cup cooked chickpeas, 1 tablespoon sesame paste (tahini) the juice of 1 lemon, and some olive oil to bind everything to make a moist, spreadable hummus. Will make a separate post on this soon.