Roasted Tomato Soup

As a kid I never liked tomato soup. It always came from a can and it was too thick for me. I like tomato soup now because I make it roasted with basil and parsley and tastes nothing like the stuff from a can.

You can make this thicker or thinner with cream or without. This recipe is perfect for two all you need is a warm loaf of bread or a grilled cheese sandwich!

You will need:

• 2 containers of cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Good quality Extra Virgin Olive oil - this is a condiment - more for serving
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped into big pieces or left in the husks to roast
• 2 tsp fresh basil - chopped finely
• 2 tsp fresh parsley - chopped finely 
• 2 tsp fresh thyme - chopped finely
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 box chicken or vegetable broth (you can use 16 - 32 oz as you like) 
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp sugar

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: 

• grated Parmesano Reggiano
• some of the fresh chopped herbs
• a drizzle of good Olive Oil 
• some mashed or chopped avocado
• a swirl of heavy cream

Watch my video on our YouTube Channel or follow the step by step with lots of pictures below. 

Step 1: on a baking sheet with parchment paper place tomatoes, parsley, basil, thyme garlic, salt and pepper roast in oven at 350 degrees F. or 20-30 minutes.

Step 2: once the skins have popped and blistered and some of the juice is starting to come out remove from oven and put into blender to puree. You can strain this mixture to remove skins but I like it rustic and leave everything in. 

Note: if you have a powerful blender like a Vitamix you can blend and puree to a think soup without straining this machine even heats it up!

Step 3: Add puree of tomato to pot and add approx 1/2 box of broth. Stir it and see if it is the consistency you like. I prefer my soup more on the thinner side but you can add less broth if you prefer. I start with half the box and add as needed.  Heat for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. 

If you want a smooth tomato soup you can strain before heating on the stove. It will get darker after you heat it on the stove so don't be alarmed if you add the broth in the blender and it looks a pale red and not that pretty.

Step 4: add 1 tbsp of sugar to offset the acidity in the fresh tomatoes. Cook 5-10 minutes more. Add remaining fresh herbs and any salt/pepper just before serving. Top with a drizzle of olive oil.

If you would like to add some milk or cream at the end this soup will take on a more velvety consistency.You can serve with a nice grilled cheese sandwich or some crackers.