Tomato Bisque With Garlic Croutons - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the Tomato Bisque
2 tablespoons bacon fat
1 small onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
4 small tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons basil, minced
2 cups tomato juice
2 cups v- 8 vegetable juice
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1 (5 ounce) package garlic & herb spreadable cheese (Boursin)
salt and pepper
chopped chives (to garnish)
For the Garlic Croutons
1 loaf French baguette, diced medium
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1/2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1/2 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1/2 tablespoon basil, chopped
1 tablespoon granulated garlic

Preparation

For the Tomato Bisque: In a large soup pot melt bacon fat, add onions and celery. Cook onions and celery until translucent, do not brown. Add tomatoes, basil and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato juice, V-8 juice, tomato paste, chicken stock and simmer 15 minutes. Add heavy cream and bring back to a boil. Turn off heat and add the tub of cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For the Garlic Croutons: In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Place the ingredients on a baking sheet and bake at 325\u00b0F until a golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.
Final Presentation: Place soup in bowl, add croutons in soup and garnish with chives.