Wintertime Tomato Soup

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 1½ hours, mostly unattended

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Yes, this is tomato soup from a can, but it’s really, really good. The secret is to use canned and dried tomatoes, a powerful combination — especially after you roast the canned tomatoes, which intensifies their taste and improves their texture. The result makes a perfect base for stew: Try adding cooked potatoes, pasta, beans, or vegetables after the tomatoes have melted into the broth, or try the rice-based variation for something a little heartier.

• 1 cup lightly packed dried tomatoes (about 2 ounces; preferably not packed in oil)
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 cups vegetable stock (pages 97–100) or water
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the dried tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Drain the canned tomatoes, reserving the juice. Halve the tomatoes and put on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with the thyme if you’re using it. Roast, turning once or twice with a spatula, until the tomatoes are dry and lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes.
2. When the tomatoes are roasted, drain the dried tomatoes, reserving the soaking liquid. Pour a little of the soaking liquid onto the baking sheet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula, breaking up the roasted tomatoes at the same time. Roughly chop the dried tomatoes.
3. Put the remaining oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the garlic and cook just until it begins to color, a minute or so. Add the carrot and onion and cook until they start to release their liquid, 1 to 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add the sugar and stir until it melts, just a few seconds.
4. Add the reserved liquids from the canned and dried tomatoes and continue stirring until the liquid mostly evaporates and darkens, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the stock, the contents of the roasting pan, and the dried tomatoes. Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat so it bubbles gently. Cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Wintertime Tomato and Rice Soup Add 1 cup short-grain rice, like Arborio, to the pan in Step 4, just after the tomato liquids have cooked. Increase the stock to 6 cups.

Creamy Wintertime Tomato Soup Use an immersion blender to purée the finished soup in the pot. Or let the soup cool a little, carefully purée it in a blender (working in batches if necessary), and return it to the pot. Stir in 1 cup heavy cream, sour cream, or crème fraîche and reheat the soup, stirring frequently, without bringing it to a boil.