Tomato Bisque Soup

So I don't really like tomato-y things. But I really like BLTs. And I really like grilled cheese sandwiches dipped in tomato soup. And I go through weird phases where I'm obsessed with grilled cheeses (and BLTs for that matter). So I decided I wanted grilled cheese and homemade soup for dinner the other day. And this recipe for tomato soup was grand and creamy.

Of course from Mel's http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/03/tomato-bisque-soup-and-a-few-housekeeping-items.html

Ingredients
Medium Butternut Squash
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 of an Onion Finely Minced
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Can Italian Stewed Tomatoes
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1 Cup Half and Half
You can put some hot sauce like Tapatio in too if you want

1. Prepare the butternut squash by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, so you have two long pieces. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from each half. Place both sides cut-side down in a 9X13-inch pan. Add enough water to come about 1/4-inch up the sides of the squash. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour. Test with a fork to make sure the squash is very tender when pierced with the fork in several places. If the flesh doesn’t easily give to the pressure of the fork, continue cooking in ten minute increments, and testing again, until the squash is tender. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the squash to a large cutting board or plate. Let it cool about 15 minutes before scooping out the flesh. If preparing the day before, scoop out the flesh and place in a tupperware. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until using it in the soup. If using the squash immediately, scoop the squash into the blender.
2. While the squash is cooking, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Scoop the onion/garlic mixture into the blender with the squash.
3. Add the canned tomatoes (undrained) to the blender. Process until the mixture is smooth – if the mixture is too thick to blend well, you can add the chicken broth/stock into the blender to help it along. Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan and add the chicken broth (if you didn’t already add it to the blender), salt, sugar, basil and cream (or half-and-half). Stir to combine well. Heat over medium-low heat until the soup is warm (but don’t let it boil or simmer to avoid the cream curdling). Serve immediately and add hot sauce to taste, if desired.

Dip Grilled Cheese in!