This is one of my favorite soups. So much so, that it was the first thing I ever cooked for Rich. He was coming over for dinner and I asked him if he liked tomato soup and grilled cheese (who doesn’t?) and later he told me he thought that meant I was heating up a can of Campbell’s tomato soup and making a grilled cheese with American cheese slices. Ha! That was obviously very early into our relationship.
I make roasted tomato soup all year, but especially love it in the late summer when the tomatoes are at their peak. The soup is especially magical during those few weeks at the very end of the summer when the tomatoes are perfect and the evenings are getting a little chillier. A sure sign fall is coming (!!).
Why roast the tomatoes before you blend and then simmer them? Roasting the tomatoes condenses the flavors and brings out the natural sugar of the tomatoes, resulting in a rich deep flavor.
Roasted Tomato Soup
12 large on-the-vine tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, divided
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry tomatoes. Cut tomatoes into quarters and place cut side up, on a roasting pan. Drizzle tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepped. Roast tomatoes for 50-60 minutes, until the tomatoes are very soft and caramelized.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Finely dice the onion and add to hot oil, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper. Stir and let cook until onion is tender, about six minutes. Finley dice the garlic cloves and add to the pot with the onion and stir. Cook the onion and garlic mixture until you can just smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir.
In a blender or food processor, puree the roasted tomatoes. Add blended tomatoes to the soup pot and stir. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings to your preference. If the soup tastes slightly acidic, add brown sugar, starting with a teaspoon. Let the brown sugar dissolve into the soup and taste to see if you need to add more. Remove soup from heat.
Serve with preferred toppings, i.e. fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, Parmesan, or my Grown Up Croutons.
Enjoy!
Makes 4-6 servings.
