Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (Print Version)
Silky smooth soup featuring roasted Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, and a touch of cream, topped with homemade garlic-herb croutons.
# Ingredients:
01 -
9 Roma tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
02 -
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
03 -
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 -
1 yellow onion, diced
05 -
4 garlic cloves, minced
06 -
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
07 -
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
08 -
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
09 -
1 28-ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
10 -
1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
11 -
1 tablespoon sugar
12 -
2 cups chicken stock
13 -
⅔ cup heavy cream
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 -
Spread tomato halves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
03 -
Roast tomatoes for 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside.
04 -
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes.
05 -
Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another minute.
06 -
Add crushed tomatoes, basil, and sugar to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
07 -
Add the chicken stock and the roasted tomatoes into the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
08 -
Use an immersion blender to purée the soup, or carefully transfer to a blender or food processor to purée. This may require multiple batches. Return the soup to the pot.
09 -
Stir in the heavy cream.
10 -
Cut small pieces of bread into cubes. Toss with olive oil, diced garlic, and basil. Bake at 400°F for about 7 minutes.
11 -
Top the served soup with croutons. Serve immediately.
# Additional Notes:
01 -
Fresh Roma tomatoes are ideal for roasting. Thick slices work best, and cut away any brown spots. Roasted tomatoes are best used within a few hours, but can be prepared 1 day in advance.
02 -
Fresh thyme and basil result in the best flavor. If using dried herbs, reduce the thyme to 1½ teaspoons and basil to ¼ cup.
03 -
Whole milk or half-and-half can replace cream, but the soup will have a lighter texture.
04 -
To make this soup vegetarian, substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock or broth.
05 -
The soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.