Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I am so proud of my little garden. It is producing heaps and heaps of tomatoes. And I am happily scrambling to use them all in delicious recipes. This is one of my favorites: Roasted Tomato Basil Soup.

I've made this recipe before, but with store-bought Roma tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Using the tomatoes from my garden made it sooooo much better! It's rich and comforting and so very delicious! When James tasted this soup he declared it "The Best Tomato Soup" he's ever had. Heck yeah!

Here's my adaptation from Barefoot Contessa's recipe:

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients
5 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half and seeded (I used a mixture of large and cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock

3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

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 (I just threw them all in a large casserole dish) and roast for 45 minutes.

In an large 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 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.

Puree with immersion blender. You can also use a regular blender or a fancy food mill (like Ina does), but I LOVE my immersion blender for soups - it's just so easy to use. Taste soup for seasonings. Add cream if you would like.

Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches. Duh. As if I even had to say that!

Serves 4.

Enjoy!