Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

I won't lie and say that I don't enjoy canned soup. I quite love Campbell's Cream of Tomato; it's delicious. But, making a homemade version just feels really appropriate for a chilly and snowy winter Saturday, which is what the weather was like when I made this a few weekends ago.

Ingredients:
3½ lbs ripe tomatoes
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 sprigs thyme
¾ cup tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock
½ cup cream
salt and pepper
olive oil

Start with the tomatoes first. Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and squeeze out the excess juice (save the juice!), and place the tomatoes on a sheet pan. Drizzle the tomato halves with plenty of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pop the tomatoes in a 450F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are cooked through and soft.

Puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and set aside.

Strain the seeds and pulp from the tomato "innards" and set aside.

Prep the carrots, onions, and garlic.

Heat a large pot with plenty of olive oil. Add in the carrots, onions, and garlic. Sauté the veggies over high heat until they're softened and have a little bit of color on them.

Pour in the tomato puree, tomato juice, tomato paste, and chicken stock. Stir and allow the soup to come to a boil. Reduce the heat and then allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes, just to allow the flavors to meld.

The finishing touch is to stir in the cream.

The obvious accompaniment to tomato soup is grilled cheese. I used ciabatta bread and gruyere this time. In addition to the bread and cheese you just need a little butter.

Instead of slicing the cheese, I like to grate it. It melts easier.

Butter one side of the bread and set the bread on the grill butter side up, just to warm up the first side. Flip the bread over, sprinkle with cheese, close the sandwiches, and let the sandwiches sit on the griddle until the bread gets toasty.

Serve the sandwiches while they're still warm so the cheese is nice and gooey next to a piping hot bowl of the tomato soup you just whipped together.

I like to dip my sandwiches right into the soup.

If you sprinkle a little grated cheese in the soup, you end up with cheese strings.

And then you end up with an empty bowl.

This is the perfect meal for a day like this, right?

Here's the recipe page: