Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Let me just start by saying that I’ve never, ever liked tomato soup. For me, it always tasted too much like plain old tomato sauce. But everything changed when I came up with this recipe. It is so good that for the rest of eternity, I will LOVE tomato soup.

This creamy-yet-creamless soup has zero resemblance to the tomato soups that come from a can. When I first tried it, the flavors blew me away. I shared the recipe with my sisters to make sure I wasn’t alone in enjoying its awesomeness. My sister Julie was the first to make it. She quickly snapped a picture and sent it to me in a text, confirming my thoughts: it’s all kinds of amazing.

I like to top my bowl with homemade croutons and swirl in a spoonful of my homemade basil pesto. (I do this when I have some on hand in the fridge, because hello? Basil and tomatoes are practically BFFs.) Julie likes to top hers with crispy bacon. I support all of the above garnishes as possible toppings for this soup, and any ideas that you can dream up will be perfect, too—this soup is that versatile.

SERVES 6 • TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

12 medium to large plum (Roma) tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1½ teaspoons dried oregano

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium)

1 cup diced carrots (about 2)

1 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Vegetable Broth

2 tablespoons sherry

OPTIONAL GARNISHES:

6 tablespoons Basil Pesto

Croutons

Cracked black pepper

Crispy crumbled bacon

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• Place the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side up, and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the oregano. Roast for 60 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
• Meanwhile, in a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Once tender, add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Carefully transfer the sautéed veggies to a blender or the bowl of a food processor and add the broth, wine, and roasted tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Pour the pureed soup back into the pot and keep warm on low heat.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of pesto, crispy croutons, and cracked black pepper (and/or crispy bacon pieces!).