For a fun twist on traditional tomato soup, try serving this winter warmer in ramekins with flaky baked pie crust on top.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, fennel, parsnip, and carrots and sauté 15 minutes, until just caramelized. Add crushed red chili flakes and tomato paste and cooking for another 5 minutes.

Tie herbs together in a bundle with kitchen twine to create a bouquet garni. Add herb bundle, celery, honey, tomatoes, and broth to the pot, then lower heat and simmer about 1 hour. Stir every 10–15 minutes to avoid scorching vegetables on the bottom. After an hour, taste soup and adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile, thaw pie crust to room temperature. Cut 6 equal circles out of the pie crust using a ramekin as a guide. The diameter of the dough should be slightly larger than that of the ramekin.

When the soup has finished cooking, remove bouquet garni and stir in the cream. Take the soup off the heat and blend until smooth using an immersion blender. Once smooth, divide soup evenly among 6 oven-safe ramekins, each with a volume of 1–1½ cups.

Cover each ramekin with a pie crust cut-out, pressing the dough to the edges. Cut a small slit in the center of each to vent the steam, then brush the tops with egg wash. Place ramekins on a sheet pan, then transfer to the oven.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or just until the crusts are golden brown. Carefully remove ramekins  from the sheet pan and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.