Last night I made the most delicious tomato soup!
Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup
1 - 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes (I used Whole Foods 365 Diced - no salt added)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth (I used Whole Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth) also see below ...
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
(then at the end I added another 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chicken broth)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Strain the tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread them on a foil lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes or so.
While the tomatoes are roasting heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf, and butter. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Next, remove bay leaf. Puree soup with a handheld immersion blender until smooth. I pureed mine on medium speed. At the end I added around 3/4 cup of chicken broth to the pot. I felt the soup needed extra liquid. Garnish each bowl with some fresh basil.
I know I will be making more this week. The texture of the soup was very rustic. I didn't overly blend so it wasn't totally smooth. My was it good! We ate roasted chicken alongside, but next time I also want a warm loaf of crusty bread!
The original recipe was from Michael Chiarello. I found it inside one of my favorite cookbooks - Food Network Favorites: Recipes from Our All-Star Chefs. I have made so many of the recipes in this book, and none have disappointed. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to cook.
Oh, also if you are looking for an immersion blender this one comes with very good reviews, and it's made in lots of colors. It is also at a very good price. Mine is made by Russell Hobbs, and I couldn't find it anywhere online. I've had it for a really long time.
The above photo's were all taken yesterday. Couldn't resist adding my cozy hound.
Happy soup making!
