Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsp (60 g) Unsalted Butter
  • 1 cup (120 g) Yellow Onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) Carrot, finely diced
  • 2 cloves (10 g) Garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 (28 oz) cans Whole Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes
  • 4 cups (950 ml) Low-Sodium Vegetable Stock
  • 1 tsp Dried Basil or Oregano
  • 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 cup (240 ml) Heavy Cream (35%)

Instructions:

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and carrot. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft and translucent ('sweated'), but not browned.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste, forming a thick roux.
  4. Crush the whole peeled tomatoes with your hands directly into the pot. Pour in the vegetable stock.
  5. Add the dried herbs, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Stir to combine.
  6. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered for 25–30 minutes, allowing the flavours to marry and the soup to slightly reduce and thicken. Stir occasionally.
  7. Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully use an immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. If using a standard blender, work in small batches, filling only halfway and venting steam.
  8. Strain the entire batch of puréed soup through a fine-mesh sieve set over a clean bowl or back into the pot. Press firmly on the solids left in the sieve to extract all the liquid richness. Discard the leftover pulp.
  9. Return the strained soup to low heat. Whisk in the heavy cream until fully incorporated and the soup is hot (do not allow it to boil).
  10. Taste the finished bisque and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, perhaps with a classic grilled cheese sandwich.