Tomato Basil Bisque

The first snowfall of the season (no matter how minimal) always calls for some homemade soup!  Here is what I made today:

Ingredients:

6 to 8 Plum tomatoes chopped in small chunks

½ Cup Celery finely diced

1 Cup Yellow Onion finely diced

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Cups Chicken Broth made from bouillon

2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil chopped

1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley chopped

1 teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Cup Skim Milk

2 Tablespoons Corn Starch

Directions:

Melt butter in medium size stock pot.  Saute celery and onions for 10 minutes over medium high heat until translucent.  Add in chicken stock and tomatoes.  Cook for 10 minutes more.  Add in Basil, Pepper, Kosher Salt and Parsley.  Cook for 5 minutes.  In a large measuring cup, sift corn starch in to milk and whisk together.  Add milk and starch to pot and stir.  Cook for 5 minutes until soup thickens a bit.  Using a submergible blender, blend and crush tomatoes and all herbs until soup is smooth.  Serves 4 to 6.