Start by adding the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic to your food processor. Pulse until finely minced—if you don’t have a processor, you can chop them by hand!

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter with olive oil over medium heat. Once melted, raise the heat to medium-high and add the minced vegetables. Sauté for about 4 minutes until they’re tender.

Sprinkle in the flour and continue to cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, followed by the fire roasted tomatoes and all seasonings—including the bay leaf. Bring this mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for around 15 minutes or until the carrots are nice and tender.

Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until it’s fully blended, then add your choice of milk, half and half, or heavy cream. Gently simmer for another 15-20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust the thickness with more broth or cream if needed.

After cooking, you can choose to leave the bisque chunky or puree it for a smoother texture. If you opt to blend, use an immersion blender or carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender, making sure to allow steam to escape.

Finally, don’t forget to remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top if desired.