Tomato Bisque With Fresh Goat Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 28-ounce can crushed Italian plum tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
• more to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 ounces good-quality fresh goat cheese
• such as Vermont Creamery

Instructions

1. Put oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. When it shimmers, add garlic and ginger and saute until just fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add onion and continue cooking until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, chile flakes, cayenne and 1 cup water.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until flavors have melded.
6. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth.
7. Add goat cheese and stir well until mixture is creamy but with a few evident crumbles of cheese.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve.