Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Man, I love soup. Here's, yet another, soup recipe. Feel free to use any type of tomatoes you like, get creative! I made this soup without cream (trying to be good), though it would probably be even better with it. If you do decide to add cream, then you should probably go all the way and make homemade croutons or grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it. There's nothing like curling up on the couch with a fresh bowl of tomato basil soup, and a cheesy, crisp, buttery grilled cheese sandwich. This soup has a vegan and/or dairy free option. For vegan simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and of course don't add cream or cheese. For dairy free option, simply don't add cream or cheese.  I topped my tomato soup with grated parmesan and mozzarella, because I love cheese too much to ever not have it. Seriously, make this soup.

 

Ingredients:

10 oz cherry tomatoes
2 medium sized vine ripened tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 box chicken broth (32 fluid oz)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes in 1 tbsp oil and roast on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. In a pot on medium heat, sautee oil with chopped onions and carrots until onions are translucent. Add in chopped garlic and sautee for about one minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Carefully add roasted tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every once in a while, then add chopped basil. Simmer 10 more minutes and remove from heat. Add in cream here if you decide to do so,  and salt and pepper to taste.

Once the soup has cooled down enough, either blend in a blender (in batches) or use an emersion blender. Do not try to blend while it's hot, the heat will cause the soup to explode out of the blender and you will end up with a giant mess. Return soup to pot and heat until warm. Serve with cheese, basil, or croutons. Or a combination of all three.