"You are enjoying ingredients the average deli guy won't even think of using... to make a sandwich most delicious." -- CitySearch.com

Birley's Tomato Bisque

(Serves 6-8)
¼ pound butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
½ coup chopped carrots
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, quartered
or 2 (1 pound 12 oz cans) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup marjoram or oregano
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock or veggie stock or cold water
1 pint whipping cream
½ teaspoon paprika
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt, pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Sauté celery, onions and carrots until tender. Stir in flour. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add your tomatoes, sugar, herbs and stock. Give it a stir and then cover. Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Discard the bay leaf. Blend the soup in a blender or with a blend stick. If using a blender, do it in small batches because hot or warm liquid will expand and shoot out of the blender. Add puree back into soup pot. Add cream, paprika, chili flakes and stir.