My summer has been super busy with lots and lots of projects being done around the house. I absolutely love when the days are long because it makes me feel like I have more time in the day. This is not the only reason I have been behind on posting on this blog but it is a major factor. I hope the longer, summer days have given you the extra time to tackle any projects that you may have put on hold.
Big, juicy red tomatoes are one of the staples of summer. Having fresh red and green tomatoes is something that I always look forward to when summer arrives. We have some tomato plants in our garden but they aren’t producing much. Luckily, I have a dear friend that always shares her tomatoes with us and our local farmer’s market always has some gorgeous tomatoes. I have grown, received, and bought so many tomatoes that I decided to try making some fresh roasted tomato soup.
I searched Pinterest for a recipe and found a few. I decided to use those recipes as a guide but did not follow any hard-and-fast recipe. I used what I had on hand because I didn’t want any of my fresh veggies to go to waste. My suggestion is that you do the same….use what you have and make it your own.
My Soup “Recipe”
My soup started with tomatoes, onions, green bell pepper, and garlic. Every vegetable in my picture came from the farmer’s market or a friend’s garden. Look at the size of that garlic! We bought it at the farmer’s market and it is enormous. I love garlic so there is no clove that is too big. This is the point in my life that learned that giant garlic has a mild flavor compared to the normal garlic.
Cut Up and Cook
Cut up your tomatoes, onions, and any other veggies that you want to add. Don’t worry about cutting them small because everything will be pureed later. Toss everything onto a cookie sheet or into a roasting pan. Add garlic cloves but leave the outer skin on it so that the garlic doesn’t burn during roasting. Spread everything out and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Roast in the over at 425 degrees for 30-50 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and begin to look slightly charred. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Blend
Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves from their skin and put into a blender. Scoop all the other veggies into the blender and add fresh basil. I used about 12-18 leaves because I like basil. You can add more or less depending on your taste, or you can leave it out completely. Blend until everything is chopped up. Slowly add a broth of your choice, such as vegetable or chicken broth, and blend until smooth. The amount of broth you add depends on how many vegetables you roasted. Obviously more vegetables will require more broth. Continue adding broth and blending until the soup is the consistency that you like. If you want a smoother consistency, strain the soup through a metal strainer or cheese cloth to get rid of any leftover tomato seeds.
Serve and Enjoy
Side note: the picture seems somewhat blurry, but it’s actually steam from my soup making it appear that way.
I heat mine up, one bowl at a time, on the stove and add heavy whipping cream. It isn’t necessary for the soup but it makes it completely divine. You could also use milk if you don’t have heavy cream. Then I sprinkle Mrs. Dash in it, top it with more fresh chopped basil, and serve it with a sourdough grilled cheese, using olive oil instead of butter. Everything I do is “to taste” so please take this information and tweak it to how you would like it best. If you don’t like garlic, leave it out. If would want to add carrots, do it. Change up the seasonings to make it how you like it.
Go Fresh
Whenever possible, try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Fuel your body. Take advantage of the farmer’s markets and local farms or grow your own if you can. I am not great at gardening but I continue to try and I know I will eventually be successful.
