Chef Pliska’s Cream of Tomato Fennel Soup

Submitted by: CHEF DANIEL PLISKA (recipe featured in Missouri Life Magazine)

Their Food Story:

As a professional Chef mid-summer to me brings with it the season of tomatoes. Juicy, flavorful and full ripeness kissed by the sun. Many people, including myself grow their own tomatoes and anxiously await the bounty of their garden. If successful, many fruits will develop and grow plump and red on the vine. However, with a good harvest comes the challenge of how to prepare them, before they go bad, beyond the normal salad or sandwich options. One good option is tomato soup which can be frozen and eaten during the cold dark months of winter.

A few years ago, I was asked to be a guest chef for the University of Missouri’s Bradford Farm Annual tomato festival. It was a fun and exciting event where I worked with many strains of tomatoes grown in their fields. This annual event brought hundreds of people to taste and enjoy tomatoes. As the former Executive Chef of the U club and University Catering, I chose to bring tasting samples of slow roasted tomatoes known as tomato confit which I served on croustades with creamy goat cheese and assorted toppings.

Another benefit that I garnered from the event was the chance to write a short piece about tomatoes for Missouri Life’s August 2017 addition. The article also featured some of my favorite recipes for tomatoes. My Cream of Tomato and Fennel Soup was one of those recipes and one that I formally served at the club and also make at home every season. For more on the event, go to the archived article to see more of my recipes and information about the event. As this year’s prime tomato harvest time approaches, I hope you too can enjoy the fruits of your garden with this Cream of Tomato soup.

CREAM OF TOMATO FENNEL SOUP

Yields: 6 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds                       Roma Tomatoes cut in quarters

  1 cup                             Red Bell Peppers large diced

  ½ cup                            Yellow Onions, large diced

  ½ cup                            Leeks, white part only, rinsed well and large diced

  ½ cup                            Celery, large diced

  1 cup                             Fennel, large diced

  1 Tablespoon                Garlic, minced

  3 Tablespoons              Olive oil

  3 Tablespoons              All-purpose flour

  ½ cup                            White wine

  2 Tablespoons              Tomato paste

  6 cups                           Water or Chicken Broth

  1 Tablespoon                Balsamic vinegar

  1 teaspoons                   Sugar

  ½ cup                            Heavy Cream

  2 Tablespoons              Fresh Basil chopped

  1 Tablespoon                Fresh Chives chopped

  To Taste                        Salt and pepper

                                        Olive oil for roasting the tomatoes and bell peppers

Instructions:

Toss the quartered tomatoes and bell peppers in a small amount of olive oil.

Roast for 30 minutes at 400 F.

Sauté the onions, leeks, celery, fennel, and garlic in three tablespoons olive oil.

Add the flour and stir in.

Add the white wine.

Add the water or chicken broth, balsamic vinegar and sugar.

Bring to a light boil and skim of the scum and reduce to a simmer.

Cook for 1 hour while skimming off any scum.

Puree in a blender and return to the pot and cook 30 minutes.

Strain and add ½ cup of cream, and continue to cook until the right consistency is met.

Add the chopped herbs, season with salt and pepper if needed and serve.