Tomato Bisque with Chevre and Puff Pastry Crust at Cafe du Soleil

Here’s something kind of retro for the holidays. It’s a very simple recipe that looks complicated – and it’s sure to wow your guests! You can use this technique with many different soups. You could even dress up a store-bought soup and easily pass it off as your own creation. I first came across this presentation back in cooking school when Paul Bocuse’s Truffle Soup named after President Giscard d’Estaing was all the rage. I’m sure it’s a technique that’s been around for ages though.

By the way this recipe is essentially the same as a Marinara sauce (just don’t add the tomato juice or cream, and puree it in a food mill instead of a blender). Make a double or triple batch, puree half for soup, and save the rest for pasta. The soup can be made well in advance, then heated and finished with the pastry crust just before serving.

Bisque de Tomates en Croute – Tomato Bisque with a Puff Pastry Crust – serves 4

One 28.5 oz. Can Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)

1 small Onion, chopped

1 T. Garlic, minced

2 T. Olive Oil

½ tsp Oregano, dried

½ tsp Basil, dried

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

1 cup Tomato Juice

½ cup Heavy Cream (optional)

4 oz. Goat Cheese Log, cut into 4 slices

Pastry Crust:

1 sheet Puff Pastry, frozen (store bought is fine)

1 Egg Yolk

¼ cup Milk

Method:

Heat a 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add seasonings and dried herbs and cook for about 30 minutes. Add tomato juice, then puree in a blender. Add heavy cream and chill if not serving immediately, or keep hot for serving.

For pastry crust – cut rounds of puff pastry about ½” larger than the size of the soup bowls you will be using (try to use deep narrow bowls rather than wide shallow ones). You can roll the dough out thinner if you want a crispier crust, but the result will be fine either way. Set pastry aside in refrigerator between sheets of wax paper. Mix egg yolk and milk for egg wash in a small bowl.

To serve:

Preheat oven to 400F. Place hot soup into bowls. Add a slice of goat cheese to each bowl. Wet the rim and outside edge of the bowl, and top each with a round of puff pastry. Press on the edges of the dough so it sticks to the bowl. Brush a thin layer of egg wash all over pastry and place bowls on a baking sheet in oven. Bake for  5-10 minutes until pastry is nicely browned. Serve immediately.

Bon Appetit!!

Pumpkin Soup - Photo by Nina Wurtzel

Here’s a great dish for the season – nice for a fall dinner or for a part of your Thanksgiving feast.

The best pumpkins to use for this are called Cheese Pumpkins. They may be hard to find unless you have a farmer’s market nearby. You can use regular pumpkins or other winter squash such as butternut, acorn, delicata, or hubbard. The roasting of the squash is what gives this soup it’s characteristic flavor so be sure not to skimp on this step. Once the squash is roasted the soup cooks quickly so it doesn’t really take longer overall. I havent tried this soup with canned pumpkin but alot of recipes suggest using it so you could give it a shot. I usually use canned pumpkin for pies so I’m not opposed to it on principle.

What I like about this version of pumpkin soup is its simplicity and versatility. Seasonings can be varied depending on what style you want. Try adding fresh chopped ginger and five spice powder for a more Asian style. Or try cumin, garlic, and fresh cilantro for a South American twist. Curry also works well with squash.

Try different liquids as well – chicken stock, white wine, or apple cider would all work – but probably best in combination with water. If you want to experiment just taste as you go along  – and stick with the vegetable to liquid ratio.

Additionally, some recipes call for onions or leeks (gently cooked in butter or oil) as an additional flavoring. I dont add them in here but if you want to just use about one cup of onion/leeks per pound of squash.

Finally, you can play around with different garnishes too. Any kind of toasted croutons work well with soup – sourdough, cornbread, etc. In this recipe I use toasted pumkin seeds but nuts would work well too. 

As with most soups it is best made a day or two ahead so the flavors can comingle and the cook can taste it with a fresh palate!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup    (Yields about 8 servings)

*Ratio of vegetable to liquid is 3 cups liquid per pound of squash*

2 pounds pumpkin or winter squash – cut into 3″ pieces and seeds removed

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups liquid (I use 1/2 Water and 1/2 fresh squeezed orange juice)

Seasonings:

zest of one orange

1/2 – 1 tsp cinnamon, ground

4 T. honey

pinch nutmeg

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Optional to finish soup:

8 Tbsp unsalted butter or 1/2 cup heavy cream

Garnish:

Toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) – about 1 Tbsp per person – toasted with spices and a pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Toss pumpkin or squash with vegetable oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Roast in oven for about 30-40 minutes turning occasionally to ensure even browning. Make sure squash is very tender so that it will puree smoothly. Allow to cool slightly.

Scoop the flesh from the skin and place in a 4 qt. saucepan. Add the liquids and seasonings, bring to a boil, then simmer about 30 minutes.

Puree with a hand blender or in a regular blender but be very careful not to fill blender more than halfway with soup to avoid blowing the top off and burning yourself. Taste soup and adjust seasonings if needed. Add additional liquid if you think the soup is too thick.

To serve – reheat soup and add optional butter or cream. Top with pumpkin seeds. Some Chefs serve this soup in a hollowed out pumkin for dramatic effect – it’s up to you if you want to go that route.