Pat's Tomato Basil Bisque With Roasted Garlic

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 5 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 head garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 lbs plum tomatoes, ripened and roughly chopped
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup dry wine
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, shredded and loosely packed
• 2/3 cup light cream
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 remove loose, papery skin from garlic, leaving heads intact.
• 3 place garlic on a sheet of heavy-duty foil; drizzle with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• 4 loosely wrap foil around garlic, folding foil edges securely.
• 5 roast until garlic has softened, about 40 minutes, then transfer to plate.
• 6 open carefully and discard foil; let garlic cool.
• 7 separate garlic into cloves.
• 8 squeeze soft garlic from each clove into a small bowl; set aside.
• 9 heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming.
• 10 add the onion and roasted garlic. cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion is softened but not brown.
• 11 stir in the chopped tomatoes, then add the stock, wine and sun-dred tomato paste, with salt and pepper to taste.
• 12 bring to a boil, then lower the heat, half cover the pan, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, shirring occcasionally to keep the tomatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• 13 process the soup with the shredded basil in a blender or food processor, then press through a sieve into a clean pan.
• 14 add the cream and heat through, stirring.
• 15 do not allow the soup to approach the boiling point.
• 16 check the consistency and add more stock if necessary, then season with salt and pepper.
• 17 pour into heated bowls and garnish with basil.
• 18 serve at once.(can also be frozen and served later.).