Recipe: Creepy Cauldron of Tomato Bisque with Spooky Croutons
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While many can’t get enough of sweet treats during Halloween, we have a savory recipe to die for!
County Counsel Chris Welsh, a former CECO Bake-Off winner, shared a recipe for a spirited night at home. His Creepy Cauldron of Bisque is sure to warm your soul. Plus, the dish is topped with spooky croutons shaped like ghosts or pumpkins. The crunchy croutons are both cute and creepy. And the bisque is both creamy and dreamy.
There’s no trick to this bisque. Just grab your cauldron and get cooking!
Ingredients (serves 8)
Bisque
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup flour
28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. marjoram
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. curry powder
¼ tsp. white pepper
Salt to taste
Optional (but recommended): 1 lb. seafood such as medium shrimp, scallops, firm fish or lobster
Croutons
6 slices of firm white sandwich bread
Instructions:
Sauté carrots, celery and onion in butter in large sauce pan or Dutch oven for about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, sugar, basil, marjoram, bay leaf and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Discard bay leaf. Purée soup in blender or processor in batches -about quarter at a time. Return to pan and add half and half, paprika, curry powder and pepper. Add seafood if desired. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Salt to taste.
Use a Halloween cookie cutter in the shape of a ghost, cat, bat, cross, coffin, pumpkin, etc., and cut shapes out of the middle of firm white sandwich bread. Brush with melted butter and arrange the bread pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast at 375 for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Serve the bisque with croutons floating on top.