Roasted Tomato Soup II

I made this for dinner last night, wanting to make use of some good summer tomatoes. (I wish I could say I grew them, but alas, my romas are taking forever to ripen.) It was utterly delicious!! I also threw in some roasted red pepper I had in the fridge. The recipe is from Tyler Florence of Food Network, originally found here.

The tomatoes, onions, and garlic ready to be roasted


The finished soup!


Roasted Tomato Soup
Printable version here

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (I used 10 oz. grape tomatoes & about 1 1/2 pounds vine tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced (or 1 medium)
1/2 cup olive oil (or less)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional (I used 1 cup whole milk)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves (leave small tomatoes, like grape or cherry tomatoes, whole). Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil (or enough to lightly cover all the food) and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized. (Mine took closer to 40 minutes)

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot. (I added about 1 roasted red pepper to the pot as well.) Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third. Remove bay leaves. I also removed some of the large pieces of tomato skin.

Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth (or carefully pour into a regular blender & puree). Return soup to low heat, add cream or milk and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Why I love it? Mainly because it's absolutely delicious!! I've never had a better tomato soup anywhere, especially not from a box/can. I served it with this cheese bread (coming soon!), and it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. We enjoyed it even on a warm summer day; I'm sure it would be even more appreciated on a cold winter's night!