Nestled in the heart of Napa Valley, Bistro Jeanty stands as a culinary haven known for its exquisite French cuisine. One dish that consistently steals the show is their legendary tomato soup. This rich, creamy soup is pure comfort in a bowl, bursting with fresh tomato flavor and a touch of decadent cream.
Melt the ½ cup butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat.
Add the onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns; cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Do not let the onions color.
Add tomato paste and lightly "toast" the tomato paste to cook out the raw flavor the add tomatoes, and water if needed.
Simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes, until the tomatoes and onions are very soft and broken down.
Puree with a blender in batches or a handheld immersion blender until finished, the strain.
Return the soup to the pot. Add the cream, salt, white pepper and remaining butter to taste. Bring soup to a simmer then remove from heat. Allow the soup to cool for two hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Divide the soup among six 8-ounce soup cups or bowls. Roll out the puff pastry to 1/4 inch.
Cut into 6 rounds slightly larger than your cups. Paint the dough with the egg wash and turn the circles, egg wash side down, over the tops of the cups, pulling lightly on the sides to make the dough somewhat tight like a drum.
Try not to allow the dough to touch the soup. These may be made up to 24 hours in advance and covered with plastic in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the top of the dough rounds with egg wash with out pushing the dough down.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Do not open the oven in the first several minutes of cooking as the dough may fall.