Roasted tomato soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

This recipe was written on a chilly, rainy spring day up here in what I call Wiscanada.  (North Wisconsin, almost Canada)  I was at the grocery store, after running through the cold drizzly weather, and was honestly, pretty miserable.  I had no inspiration for dinner...  until i got in the produce section, and those gorgeous Roma tomatoes caught my eye!  I immediately shot back to childhood, when my parents would make tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner on icky days.  I am sure most American children have the same story!

Full disclosure, I had never made tomato soup before, but it really came together as I imagined it up!  I started with 15-20 red ripe Roma tomatoes, halved, and laid on a lined sheet pan, cut side up.  Next, top each tomato with sprayed olive oil (I like to put good olive oil in a Misto can), 4 finely diced cloves of garlic, rubbed into the tomato juice so they don't burn, dried Italian herbs, and salt and pepper.

Roast the tomatoes at 350* for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are slumped, and the garlic is fragrant.

In a large sauce pot, simmer all the tomatoes, with all their juices, 2 cups of your favorite stock, 2 bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down.

There are two ways to blend this, with a stick immersion blender, or in a counter top blender.  If you use a counter top blender, Make sure to allow the tomatoes to cool, and only fill the pitcher half full, and keep your hand and a towel firmly on the top to prevent an explosion!  I prefer the stick blender, it is easier, and has less to clean up.  Let the soup cool a bit before blending, so there's no scalding splatter!

Once smooth, bring soup back to temperature, and add a cup of milk, coconut milk, or milk substitute of your choice.  I really love the coconut milk, it gives a touch of sweetness with the creaminess that balance out the acidic tomatoes!  Taste for salt and pepper, and consistency, you might need a touch more stock to thin it out.  

Now, most importantly, grill up some paninis or grilled cheeses for dipping, and settle in with a movie and a warm blanket until the weather clears!