Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

I absolutely love tomato soup, but I've never tried it before. Not sure why, really... although come to think of it, I've really only tried a handful of soups before. I'll have to change that...


Anyway, I made this one yesterday as well in my plot to stock my freezer with individual lunch-size portions of soup. I saw this one on Brianna's blog and really didn't waste much time before attempting it myself.

The verdict? SCORE!! This was EVERYTHING I've EVER wanted in a tomato sauce. Creamy, tangy, herby... just absolutely the perfect bowl. I know I'm going to be making this one again and again.

Ingredients:

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 (28-ounce) canned italian tomatoes, with their juice
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 quart vegetable stock or water (I used 2 cups of each.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 35-45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions, carrot and garlic with 1 tablespoons of olive oil, for 7-8 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, bay leaf, beans and vegetable stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Using a hand blender or *stand blender puree until mixture is smooth. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold. Serves 6-8

* If using a stand blender make sure you allow the soup to cool a few minutes before blending the soup in batching. Place a towel over the top just in case of any accidents and remember the soup will expand while it is hot.