Roasted Tomato Soup

When I was a kid, I hated tomato soup. I rarely ate it and certainly never requested it. Of course, that is probably because what I was used to being served as “tomato soup” was the kind from a Campbell’s can. I never understood the whole “tomato soup and grilled cheese” combination, because I couldn’t figure out why you would ruin one of the greatest sandwiches ever with nasty old tomato soup. Well, it turns out that my hubby actually grew up liking tomato soup (the same kind I hated) so last year I thought I would try to find a recipe to make for him – I had no intention of liking it. This is the recipe I ended up with and OH MY GOSH it is the BEST SOUP EVER!!! I am sure that I will never make another recipe for tomato soup because this is just the greatest. And, it pairs wonderfully with the amazing grilled cheese sandwich.

The only drawback to this soup during the winter is the use of fresh basil (I miss my herb garden!), but it is worth the price. I don’t think I use the full amount in the winter though – maybe closer to 1 cup. It doesn’t seem to make a big difference, just as long as you use some fresh basil. The original recipe also calls for fresh thyme but I wasn’t about to pay for any more fresh herbs, so I used dry instead. This soup is great to make ahead and eat throughout the week or to freeze for later.

Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, cut in half, insides scooped out
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups chopped onion
6 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz. can) whole or chopped tomatoes, with their juices
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp. dried)
4 cups chicken stock

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.

Toss tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Spread tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet covered in foil and roast in the oven for 45 minutes.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with 2 tbsp. olive oil, butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 min.

Pass through food processor. (I recommend doing this in two batches. I have a full-size food processor, but putting all of the soup in at once creates an enormous mess. Trust me on this one.)

Source: passed on to me by Nestie bakingblonde