Roasted Tomato Soup

When I got up this morning I was actually planning to do another blog posting about cookies. I know what you’re thinking, Mama, enough with the cookies already. It is an uncharacteristically cold and gloomy day here, yes, 55 degrees is cold, so I decided to re-think my strategy. I thought I should choose to make something for my posting that I could also serve to the family for dinner tonight. Ah yes, therefore killing two birds with one stone.

Due to the aforementioned gloominess, I decided that my family would probably appreciate some good ‘ol comfort food. I don’t know about you, but grilled cheese and tomato soup is about as cozy as you can get.  I rarely get a reaction from the husband and kids regarding my cooking, but the Roasted Tomato Soup got rave reviews.

It’s just a suggestion, but if you’re having a get-together for New Year’s, how about Roasted Tomato Soup Shots with a dollop of creme fraiche, or for a New Year’s brunch you can serve the soup in mason jars with a mini grilled cheese sandwich. And the best part is you can make the soup in advance, because it will actually taste better the next day.

Roasted Tomato Soup

• 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (I used tomatoes on the vine)
• 5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cans (28 oz) San Marzano Tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, yogurt or mascarpone (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, and place rack in the lower third of oven.  Wash and dry tomatoes, and then cut them in half. Using your fingers, gently squeeze out the seeds. Place the tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl and drizzle with the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, and toss it all together with your hands. Spread the tomatoes out on a large baking sheet cut side up.  Place the garlic pieces in the tomato cavity (I don’t know what else to call it) as shown in the above photo. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until tomatoes begin to caramelize. Yum, now we’re creating great flavor! Then set aside to cool.
2. Now, strain the juice into a measuring cup or bowl, from the 2 cans of tomatoes and reserve for later. You should have about 1 cup of liquid from the cans.  Next, puree the canned tomatoes, the roasted tomatoes and garlic in batches in a blender and place in a large bowl.
3. In a large stock pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter, then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 medium, diced onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes until it becomes translucent. Add  1/4 cup of flour and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and quickly whisk or stir with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Add all the pureed tomato and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, the bay leaf, cumin, rosemary spring, thyme sprigs, reserved juice and 1 cup of chicken broth. Whisk to make sure no flour has stuck to the bottom. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring in 15 minute intervals. Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs. After it simmered, I used an immersion blender to blend the onion into the soup. If you don’t have one, you could run it through the blender again. You should let the soup cool a bit before you so though, because hot liquids spurt out of the blender. Cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel.
5. I ran the soup through a sieve to remove any seeds and tomato skin and ended up with a smooth, silky soup. I returned the soup to the stock pot to warm before serving.
6. I like to serve the soup with a little dollop of creme fraiche for a little added creaminess.

Makes about 8 cups of soup

Mama’s Tips:

You can store the soup in a sealed container. It’s actually better the next day after all the flavors meld together. Just gently reheat to serve.

If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, you can substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth or water.

To add extra creaminess to the soup, you can garnish it with creme fraiche, sour cream, yogurt or mascarpone.

If your soup comes out too thick, then just thin it with a little extra broth or water. But remember, add just a little at a time to achieve your desired consistency.

Recipe: Intermediate

Author: Mama's Gotta Bake