Roasted Tomato Soup

For the longest time, I was never a fan of tomato soup and I never really understood why. I like tomatoes, I like tomato sauce, and yet, tomato soup was just not my thing. I always found it too sweet and I can be pretty particular about savory and sweet. I also thought it was bland and had no texture to it. Well, it took me going to Jason's Deli and having their tomato soup that opened my eyes. It wasn't sweet, it wasn't smooth, it had layers of flavors and seasonings, but most importantly, it WASN'T FROM A CAN!

Finally, the ah ha moment I had been waiting for, all it took was a good bowl of tomato soup! I now realized why I had been so against tomato soup my whole life; all I knew when it came to tomato soup was Campbell's. Sorry Campbell's, its nothing against you, there are other soups of yours I enjoy, but this is just not one of them. My boyfriend says my comments border on blasphemy when it comes to Campbell's, but I think many people would agree with me. Plus this is my blog, so I am sticking to my guns. Pow pow!

Now, my recipe is in no way a healthy tomato soup. It’s loaded with butter and half and half, but I think its damn good and hope you will too. The measurements for the seasonings are give or take. I'm not much on using measuring spoons or cups (I'm trying now that I am starting a blog), so just keep tasting and adding as needed. I happen to like my tomato soup with a little kick, so I add chili flakes. You can omit these if you don’t like your food spicy. Also, I’m usually a fan of fresh herbs, but dried basil just works better in this recipe. However, use whatever you have on hand. My favorite way to eat this is with a grilled cheese, but eat it however you like best! Enjoy.

P.S. The leftovers freeze well, up to 6 months.

Roasted Tomato Soup

• 32 oz can, fire roasted tomatoes, your favorite brand
• 12 oz can, fire roasted tomatoes, your favorite brand
• 32 oz box, chicken stock
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup half and half

1. Cook diced onions in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until translucent. Do not brown.
2. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, butter, basil, chili flakes, garlic powder, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock and cook for 20 minutes, or until flavors come together.
5. Taste time, see if it needs more seasonings.
6. Remove bay leaves, taste and salt and pepper as needed. Take emulsion blender (see tips below if you do not have one) and blend until most the big chunks are gone or until desired smoothness. I like mine to still have texture and some big tomato chunks.
7. Taste again, season if needed.
8. Turn the heat down to a simmer, between lo and medium, and add half and half. Cook for 30 more minutes, or as long as you want. You could eat if now if you wanted, but the longer it cooks, the more the flavors come together.

Tips and Tricks

• If you don't have an emulsion blender, you can use a blender or food processor. Just make sure to vent the blender or the contents will explode due to the heat. Trust me on this, I learned the hard way.
• If you are lactose intolerant, you can omit the half and half.
• The half and half can be substituted with whole milk, heavy cream, fat-free half and half, or any milk you have on hand. However, the more fat in the milk, the richer the soup will be.
• As with most soups, the flavors will build the longer it cooks. If you can go an hour on a nice simmer once blended, you won't be disappointed. Also you will find that it will taste even better the next day.