Garden Fresh Tomato Bisque

• 4 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
• 1 large shallot or 1/2 mild onion chopped
• 1 cup broth or water
• 1/4 cup sherry (optional)
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 fresh large (or equivalent small) basil leaves
• 2 Tbls olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat
2. Add onions and pinch of salt and cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes
3. Add garlic and whole herbs with another pinch of salt and toss for 1 min
4. Deglaze with the sherry
5. Add broth and tomatoes
6. Simmer over medium heat until tomatoes are easily mashed
7. Mash tomatoes thoroughly with a potato masher 
8. Simmer another 5 minutes
9. Press the soup through a fine sieve, stirring until all of the liquid is out of the pulp
10. Stir in the cream
11. Salt to taste and top with fresh cracked pepper

*Options:
Some like a higher broth/tomato ratio.
We’re using heirloom tomatoes and I like to let them shine,
but you could go up to 4 cups broth here. I would increase the herbs
if increasing broth.
If the soup is not hot enough after adding cream, you can return to
medium heat, but don’t bring to a boil or it might break.