PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Rania Harris is back in the kitchen giving us a cozy winter recipe - creamy tomato bisque and grilled cheese!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• ½ cup flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups tomato puree (see note below)
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 1 - 14½ oz can crushed tomatoes
• ¾ cup thinly sliced (julienned) fresh basil
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• Granulated sugar (to taste to cut down on the acidity of the tomatoes)

Accompaniment:

Grilled Cheese Triangles (see note below)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy stockpot and sauté the onion with the garlic until translucent.  
2. Reduce heat and add the flour to make a roux. Continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  
3. Turn the heat up to medium and add 1½ cups of the chicken broth, whisking constantly.  
4. Add in the remaining broth and cook until the mixture begins to boil and thicken.  
5. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes to cook out the starchy taste. 
6. Add the tomato sauce, tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, and ½ cup of the sliced basil.  
7. Simmer for 10 minutes. 
8. Add the heavy cream. Bring it back to a simmer. Taste the bisque and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
9. When ready to serve, divide the soup into 8 warmed bowls. Garnish with remaining sliced basil and serve with grilled cheese triangles.  

Serve immediately. 

Serves: 8

I prefer to use the tomato puree that is sold in the glass bottles and I always add a little bit of water to the bottle after I pour it into the soup pot to "rinse out" the remaining puree in the bottle and add that liquid back into the pot. 

For the grilled cheese, I prefer to use thick sliced Ciabatta bread when making my grilled cheese