Tomato soup is a comfort food classic, and in the recipe below, the rich flavor of fresh tomatoes really shines through. The secret? Using very ripe tomatoes or good-quality canned tomatoes to ensure you're concentrating only the best flavor.
Ideally, this soup is made with a vegetable mill, which removes seeds and skins from the tomatoes without completely crushing them, thus ensuring the dish retains a bit of texture. However, especially if you're using peeled canned tomatoes instead of fresh, you can also use a blender or immersion blender to make this soup more easily.
Roasted Tomato Soup
6
15 minutes
1 hour
1 hour 15 minutes
3 pounds fresh or canned plum tomatoes, drained (if canned) and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons store-bought pesto
1/2 cup cream
fresh basil leaves
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss together the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and sugar and arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes or until the tomatoes are dark and slightly blistered.
Peel the garlic cloves and discard the skins. Run the tomatoes and garlic through a food mill and transfer to a large soup pot.
Add the tomato paste, water, red pepper flakes and black pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter, stirring vigorously until it is incorporated.
Stir in the pesto and the cream, and garnish with fresh basil.