Roasted Tomato Soup - Looks and smells like Autumn...

There is nothing funny about a tomato.  I mean it - absolutely nothing funny about them.  I scoured the internet and even a few books looking for something entertaining to share before I gave this recipe, but to no avail.  Next to a potato, the tomato is the most boring thing ever - - thank goodness they taste good when you cook them.   On cold, rainy fall evenings, there is nothing better than hot tomato soup and grilled cheese.

I started making this soup a couple years ago after I got sick of tomato soup in a can.  I ruined the first few batches of this when it initially came out quite runny.  I tried to thicken it up with a cornstarch slurry, but I found out quickly that you can't adopt a "Chinese food" mentality when adding dimension to your soups.  It smelled good, but had the consistency of a poorly made jello when it was finished. 

The cool thing about this dish is that it's not only fulfilling for those days you don't want to get out of your pajamas but it's also elegant enough to serve as a first course before a fine meal - assuming you plate it properly.   Speaking of which, let me re-assert my feelings about plating food.  Food should be just as much a feast for your stomach as it should be a feast for your eyes.  (Ooh, that's a fine quote.  I'm keeping that one.)  I find that you enjoy meals on a different level if you take those few extra minutes to serve them properly in halfway-decent dishes.  You don't need to break the bank by any means.  Almost all of my dishes and cookware came from Target.  In fact, the restaurant-style plates you see pictured in my enchilada-chimichanga blog were purchased on clearance for 6 bucks this week and they look great.

That being said, here's my recipe for Tomato Soup - it is remarkably easy and the scent of the roasting vegetables will permeate through your house long after this dish has been consumed.  Serve this with toasted baguettes or ciabatta bread.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 cups fresh tomatoes.  (For example, I used 3 large vine ripened tomatoes, about 5 roma tomatoes, and couple handfuls of grape tomatoes - but use what you like.)
• 3/4 Large Yellow Onion - roughly chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves, smashed
• 1 Cup Basil (approximately), ripped or torn
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley
• Olive Oil
• 1-12 oz can chicken broth
• 4-6 oz heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Bay Leaf

How To Make:

• Start by pre-heating the oven to 425.  While the oven is preheating, roughly chop the tomatoes & onion and smash the garlic.  (This doesn't have to precise, it's going to get blended later.)  Layer the vegetables on a cookie sheet or oven roaster, drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the parsley & basil and stir slightly to make sure vegetables are coated.  Place in oven for 15 minutes.
• When finished, remove vegetables to a large pot on your stove and add the chicken broth & bay leaf.  Stir over medium-low heat for 8 minutes to bring the flavors together.  Remove bay leaf and CAREFULLY transfer to your blender (you may need to do this in batches so it doesn't explode all over your kitchen) and puree'/blend until smooth, approximately 1 minute.
• Once blended, return mixture to pot.  Add the cream, butter, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for 10 minutes before transferring to bowl.  Garnish with sliced grape tomatoes and a basil leaf and serve with bread.