Creamy tomato bisque...with a kick

I first fell in love with tomato soup after eating at Panera bread a few years back. I ordered their tomato soup on a whim one day and ended up finding my favorite soup of all time. It was chunky, herby, and full of flavorful spices. Every time I ate there that was the thing I most looked forward to, their delicious tomato soup.
A few months ago after walking in the park with my mom and Lorelai, we ended up at Kroger ordering food from the deli. Of course, I looked to see what kind of soup variety they had, hoping for tomato and stumbled across a creamy orange tinted soup, called creamy tomato bisque.

To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement, when really, this soup stole my heart. It's funny how before I thought I had found the soup of my dreams at Panera, yet ended up finding an even better soup at the Kroger deli.. Lesson learned. Sometimes the best food comes from the most unlikely sources.

So after walking in the park with my family and freezing our butts off today, I decided to finally make my own creamy tomato bisque, perfect for a chilly afternoon like this one. This little soup creation of mine was inspired by three recipes, my favorite Kroger deli tomato bisque, Ina Garten's tomato and basil soup, and the Neely's roasted red pepper and tomato soup. It's delicious, creamy, and delectable with a bit of a kick to keep you warm the rest of the day.  :)

Creamy tomato bisque with a kick

• 4 Tbs olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, plus 1 large fresh tomato
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2-3 pinches white sugar
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a baking pan, toss together the fresh tomato (cut in half) with 2 Tbs olive oil, salt, and pepper. roast for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, 20 minutes into roasting the tomato, heat a 6 quart stockpot on medium heat and begin sauteing the onions and garlic, with the remaining olive oil, butter, and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and become translucent. Add in the chicken stock, canned whole tomatoes, roasted tomato, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, pepper,and garlic powder. With your spoon, squish the tomatoes and mix the ingredients thoroughly. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 35-40 minutes. Mix in the heavy cream and using a blender, blend the soup for about 1 minute or until creamy. Serve piping hot with grilled cheese sandwiches.



Before the blender and heavy cream

After!