This happens every year. This year, I even waited until April to plant them, and only two plants, at that. I still have tons of tomatoes!
So far, I’ve made numerous sandwiches, a batch of pizza sauce (recipe coming), and a bunch of salads. Then I realized that I have a great recipe for tomato basil soup that I haven’t made in a few years. Since I had three pounds of tomatoes waiting to be used (especially before it rains), I knew what I was going to do with them.
This is an excellent soup, adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe. It has a very intense tomato flavor, as they are roasted before being cooked down with a massive amount of basil. The herbal flavor also comes through, which is what makes it so good. The original recipe calls for four cups of basil, but even using two (like I did) works well enough.
Anyway, with the cooling weather coming along, this is the perfect recipe for using up those homegrown tomatoes.
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh plum (Roma) tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1-½ tsp black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
- 2 cups (or more) fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 quart chicken stock
- Salt & pepper to taste
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Preheat oven to 400º F.
In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with two tablespoons of the olive oil, salt, pepper, and 3 of the minced garlic cloves. Lay the tomatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool, then peel the skins of the tomatoes and discard—they should come off very easily. Don’t forget to taste—amazingly sweet!
In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onions, garlic, thyme leaves, and red pepper flakes in the butter and the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil until the onions begin to brown. Add both the canned and roasted tomatoes, including their juices, along with the basil and chicken stock.
Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients in the pot until smooth. Bring the heat up to a boil, then lower the temperature, allowing the soup to simmer for about 45 minutes.
Serve and garnish with basil leaves. So, so good!
