Roasted Tomato Soup

by Anne


Anyone who’s ever been to Minnesota in the winter knows that it’s cold, snowy, and dark. And anyone who’s ever met me knows that those just happen to be three of my least favorite adjectives to describe the weather.

So to cope, there are a few small comforts like Starbucks coffee, toastie toes, and having a husband that doesn’t make fun of you when you wear your Snuggie to bed. Oh, and tomato soup. Homemade tomato soup, to be exact.

This recipe couldn’t be easier, really. Preheat your oven to 375. Cut 6 or so tomatoes in half and place them cut side down in a glass baking dish. Top with 6 garlic cloves- peeled and whole, 1 tsp. each oregano and basil, and half of a red onion, chopped. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar (the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of each, but I didn’t measure), and sprinkle with salt and pepper until the whole thing looks like this:


Bake for 45 minutes or until it looks like this:


Let the pan cool for a few minutes, and use the time to heat 2 cups of chicken (or vegetable) stock in a large pot on the stove. When the tomato/onion/garlic bliss has cooled a bit, place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree. Once everything is nice and smooth, add the tomato mixture to the pot with the chicken stock. Stir in at least one can of tomato paste to thicken- feel free to add more for a denser consistency. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Oh and be sure to top with popcorn before serving. Trust me on this one.

Roasted Tomato Soup (adapted from this recipe)

• 6-8 tomatoes (I used a 6 roma and 2 big boy)
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• salt
• pepper
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 can tomato paste

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half and place in a shallow baking dish cut side down. Top with onion, garlic, oregano and basil. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes. Place roasted vegetables in food processor bowl or blender and begin puree. Heat chicken stock in a large pot on the stovetop. Add roasted tomato puree to the stock pot. Stir in tomato paste to thicken, if desired. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.