23 October 2025 Smoked Creamy Tomato Bisque

Smoked Creamy Tomato Bisque

October 23, 2025 By

There’s something magical about combining smoke and soup. On a slightly chilly Sunday, I decided to fire up my Recteq pellet smoker and experiment with smoked tomatoes, red bell peppers, and onions. The result? A creamy tomato bisque that’s rich, comforting, and layered with flavor.

Why Smoke Your Veggies?

Smoking vegetables adds depth and complexity that you just can’t get from roasting or sautéing. The gentle heat and wood smoke infuse the tomatoes and peppers with a subtle sweetness and a hint of char that elevates this classic soup.

This smoked tomato bisque is perfect for cozy evenings or as a starter for a fall dinner party. The smoky undertones make it stand out from traditional tomato soups, and it’s surprisingly easy to make.

🛒 Ingredients

Smoked Vegetables

  • 12 Roma tomatoes, halved
  • 2 large red peppers, quartered
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp each, salt and pepper

Soup Base

  • 3/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp each, salt and pepper
  • 16 ounces chicken broth (use vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

🔥 Smoking Instructions

  1. Preheat your smoker (I use a Recteq pellet smoker) to 225°F.
  2. Arrange tomato halves and red pepper pieces on a baking rack, skin side down.
  3. Place chopped onion in a small metal dish.
  4. Drizzle olive oil over all vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  5. Smoke for 2 hours.

🍲 Soup Assembly

  1. Transfer smoked vegetables to a blender (I use a Vitamix).
  2. Add basil, sugar, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Pulse for one minute until mostly smooth.
  3. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in the cream, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  5. Serve hot and enjoy!

🥄 Yield

Serves 6

Cheers,
Veronique

Filed Under: American, Soups, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,
9 October 2024 Easy Pellet Smoker Pulled Pork

Easy Pellet Smoker Pulled Pork

October 9, 2024 By

I’m no professional when it comes to smoking, but I’ve developed certain skills at using my Recteq RT-590. One of the easiest things one can make on a pellet smoker is pulled pork using a pork shoulder, also known as pork butt or Boston butt.

With just a few ingredients and in just a few steps, you’ll have a solid product that can be used in many ways. We’re fond of tacos (see below)!

Ingredients

  • 6-8 lb. pork butt with the bone in
  • Yellow mustard
  • Homemade or store-bought BBQ rub, we like Pork Mafia and Revolution Barbecue both found on Amazon
  • Spray bottle filled with equal amounts of cola and apple juice
  • Squeeze bottle margarine, I use Parkay brand
  • Salt and pepper
  • Homemade bbq sauce, or store-bought BBQ sauce, we like Bone Suckin’ Sauce widely available

Directions:

  1. The night before your cook, pat dry the pork butt with paper towels, coat in yellow mustard and generously sprinkle rub over the mustard. Wrap the pork butt in shrink wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  2. The morning of your cook, add pellets to your smoker and preheat to 250 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until blue smoke turns white-ish.
  3. Take the pork out of the fridge, sprinkle with a second layer of rub then allow to warm up a bit while you fill a metal or aluminum pan with water, coming up halfway up the pan. Place the water-filled pan on one side of the smoker, that’ll help keep the pork moist as it cooks, and place the pork butt on the other side, fat cap down. Insert the smoker’s probe, or a meat thermometer, inside the pork ensuring it doesn’t touch the bone, which will cause bad temp readings.
  4. Generously spray the pork with the cola/juice mixture every hour until the internal temp of the meat reaches 155 degrees.
  5. Place three large sheets of foil on a work surface and position the pork on the foil. Spray generously with the coke/apple juice and squeeze margarine all over the surface, you’ll need about ½ cup depending on the size of your pork butt. Wrap the pork tightly with the foil and place the probe/thermometer back in the meat. Put the pork back on the smoker and cook until the internal temp reaches 200 degrees.
  6. Take the pork out of the smoker, uncover the top and put the pork back on the smoker to finish creating the crunchy bark, about 30 minutes.
  7. Take the pork out and let it rest 15-20 minutes, remove the bone then shred and pull using two forks, or your gloved hands. Generously salt and pepper the meat then add a thin layer or BBQ sauce, about ½ – ¾ cup to lightly coat but not overwhelm the amazing pork flavor. Alternatively, you can omit the bbq sauce.

Yields 6-8 pulled pork sandwiches.

Note that the cooled pork freezes very well in freezer bags for up to a couple of months.

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Pork Tagged With: , , , , , ,