The Never-Ending Garden

I had been enjoying the fruit of my parent’s labor all summer in the form of homegrown tomatoes. Since my last tomato had been eaten a few weeks ago and I was craving them, I finally broke down and bought a huge container of cherry tomatoes at Costco, only to get a phone call that yet another crop of juicy red tomatoes was ready to be picked. So even with 3 pounds of cherry tomatoes sitting on my counter at home, I happily accepted another pound. You can’t pass up homegrown tomatoes, especially in late October!

With that many tomatoes, I wanted to make a dish that used a considerable amount of fruit. I made a lot of tomato dishes this summer, but skipped over the obvious: tomato soup.

We are soup people…it doesn’t matter what kind of soup; it doesn’t matter if it’s 90 degrees out; it doesn’t matter if we had soup the night before…we usually won’t pass up a bowl. But last night I had two perfect excuses…Andy was feeling a little under the weather, and it has finally gotten down to the low 50’s at night. Soup time!

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Makes 2 large bowls           

Roasted Tomatoes:

1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon thyme

Soup:

olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon thyme

14 ounce can vegetable broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

salt and pepper

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

To roast tomatoes: Toss tomatoes with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme on a baking sheet. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pot and sweat onions for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and thyme and cook for another minute. Stir in vegetable broth and let simmer for a few minutes. Add in roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, cayenne pepper (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Mash the tomatoes a bit to release their juices and stir together. Let soup simmer for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put soup through a food mill, and return to pot. Stir in cream and parmesan cheese. Check seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed. Heat over low heat until hot. 

While this may not be the quickest tomato soup, it is very easy and the result is well worth the time. Roasting the tomatoes gives them such a deep flavor, and means you really don’t need a lot of other ingredients. The cayenne adds a touch of heat, and the cream and parmesan cheese add richness. 

I only wish I’d made more…