roasted tomato soup

I combined a few recipes to get my own version of yummy soup. I got my inspiration from Barefoot Contessa and Bobby Flay. I also threw in some things from this recipe. I really love thinking of a recipe that sounds good and then looking at several different recipes and creating my own based on what I want it to be. I wanted to make this because when we lived in California, I LOVED the Tomato Basil Soup at Safeway. I have searched for a long time for a good recipe that matches, and haven't found one.

Given my newfound love of all things roasted, I figured roasted tomatoes would easily find their way into the category.


Recipe:

5 pounds roma tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
minced garlic (6 cloves total)
1 onion, diced

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cups half and half

I used just less than 5 pounds of roma tomatoes (I wanted a lot of soup!) and just cut them in slices. Lay them in a cookie sheet (mine overlapped) and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and minced garlic (I used 4 cloves). Roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, turning once halfway through.

In a large saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil, saute the onion and garlic until soft (but not brown). Once the tomatoes are done, add the contents of the pan (juice and all) into the saucepan. Add the chicken broth, heat through. Add the half and half. Put in batches in a blender, then back into the saucepan to heat more until ready to serve.