Cooking 101 - Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

{ohhhhhhhhhh} This soup is so good.  Like..."mmmm..." out loud good.  I'm a tomato lover, so that helps, too - and when you use fresh tomatoes like this, you can only imagine how flavorful this tastes.  It's the ultimate gray/winter/blah weather soup because it's warm, bright, and has rich, deep flavors.

I have this awesome cookbook by Ina Garten and the original recipe is found here, among so many others that I LOVE.  However, after cooking, tweaking, and adjusting it to my taste, I found the perfect balance.  I'm giddy to have found a recipe for the perfect tomato soup!

...and this makes your house smell ahhhhh-mazing.

ROASTED TOMATO BASIL SOUP

adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

serves about 8 adult portions

You'll need:

3 lbs. ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1/4 c. + 2 T. olive oil

1/2 T. salt

1 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

2 c. chopped yellow onion (2 medium onions)

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. butter

1/8 t. red pepper flakes (a shake or two)

1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes with juice - (I didn't use plum, I just had diced and they worked fine)

4 c. fresh basil leaves, packed (lots, and lots of basil!)

1 t. fresh thyme leaves

1 qt. chicken stock or 4 c. water and 3.5 tsp. chicken base or 3 chicken bullion cubes

1 c. half & half or 1/2 c. heavy cream - optional but heavenly

Toppings:

grated asiago or parmesean cheese

sour cream

fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Using an immersion blender, or a regular blender,  blend the soup until it is smooth but still chunky.  Add the half & half or cream; adjust salt and seasonings.  If it's lacking some flavor or salt, add a small tsp. of chicken base, stir it in, and then adjust.  Sometimes chicken base can make all the difference, rather than adding salt.  The chicken base adds depth and flavor, as well.


Serve with your toppings and some amazing grilled crusty bread!  OR a grilled sandwich of any kind!  I LOVE to dip a grilled sandwich in this soup!