*The better your blender, the smoother this soup will be. I use a vitamix and it purees the bacon in the soup so finely that you can't tell it's in there.
Ingredients
2 oz. Smoked Bacon, diced
1 T. Olive Oil
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 small Onion, diced
1 Celery Stalk, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 sprigs fresh Thyme, stems removed
½ t. Kosher Salt
1 28 oz can Whole Plum Tomatoes, crushed(I do it by hand)
4 C. Chicken Broth
½ C. Heavy Cream
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Kosher Salt, to taste
Instructions
Place the bacon in a stockpot and cook on medium/high heat until the bacon is just about fully cooked and crisp.
Add the carrot, onion, celery, and ½ t. salt to the bacon and saute for 5 minutes on medium heat, or until the onion turns translucent.
Add the garlic and thyme to the pot and saute for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender.
Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender.
Puree the soup until it is very smooth, at least 1 minute. You may have to do this in more than one batch.
Transfer the pureed soup back to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Add the heavy cream to the soup and blend well.
Add pepper and additional salt to the soup to taste.
Serve topped with a sprinkle of thyme leaves(and a swirl of whipped or sour cream if you have it!)
Recipe by The Kitchen McCabe at https://www.thekitchenmccabe.com/2013/12/02/herbed-tomato-bisque/