Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Don't you just love soup in the winter? There's nothing like something warm and tasty to warm you up on a cold winter day! Derek isn't a big fan of soups but last week when I asked him to tell me one thing he wanted for dinner that week he suggested Tomato Basil Soup. 2 of his favorite things. I was super excited to make it since I don't get to make soup often.  I searched the internet for the perfect recipe and I was sure I had found it. This recipe is another 5 star recipe from foodnetwork.com from Ina Garten.  I also found this same recipe on a couple of popular food blogs so I was sure it was a good one!

First you roast tomatoes in the oven with olive oil and a little salt and pepper.  This really brings out the best flavor possible in the tomatoes. Then you add it to the soup mixture along with fresh basil then let it simmer, then blend it to make it smooth. The easiest way to blend it up is to use an immersion blender but sadly I don't have one. If you don't have one you can use a blender or food processor. If you do this make sure to let the soup cool first so the pressure does not build up too much.  And also don't blend up all the soup at once. Do a little at a time. This will help you avoid any messes.


The flavor of this soup was incredible!  The roasted tomatoes add such a deep flavor to the soup it's incredible.  There is a little kick from the red pepper flakes and let's not forget the basil!  I love the fresh herby flavor the basil adds to the soup.  This soup is definitely our new favorite soup of all time.  We had this soup with some mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top and bread. I can't wait to grow our own basil and tomatoes this summer so we can have this soup whenever we want! 


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Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Slightly adapted from Ina Garten
Ingredients:
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz.) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or a pinch of dried thyme)
1 quart chicken stock or water


Directions:
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.


Meanwhile 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.  


Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade or blend with an immersion blender.  You can also blend up the soup in a blender or food processor a little at a time.  If using a blender or food processor make sure soup is cooled so the pressure does not build up.  After soup is blended, warm up again on stove.  Taste for seasonings.