Goodbye September, let the craziness begins! October officially marks the start of the fun, albeit insanely busy time of year- not only is there excitement from the Holidays but my 3 kids have upcoming birthdays- one in October, one in November, one in December along with my birthday, and then baby #4 is due the very beginning of January. This time of year always flies by so I enjoyed one of the last few weekends where we really had nothing to do.
I got home from church yesterday and wanted something warm to fill my tummy. We’ve had nonstop rain all weekend and I just felt like cozying up to a bowl of soup. Just at the same time I opened my refrigerator and saw a container of plum tomatoes from Costco staring at me. I wanted roasted tomato soup.
I knew I could make this happen in less than an hour and half the time was spent just waiting for the tomatoes to roast.
I just cut my tomatoes in half lengthwise, peeled some garlic, seasoned the whole tray and popped them into the oven until soft, juicy and lightly browned.
Remember that eating tomato products with a little oil helps the lycopene (the powerful antioxidant that can help protect against degenerative diseases) to be more readily absorbed by the body…so don’t omit it!
You’ll know the tomatoes are done when they’re nice and soft and their skins start to fall off.
Peeling should be easy at that point. I started off with tongs but realized I liked using many hands better….always the best tool!
Make sure to pour all those juices into the pot, along with the peeled tomatoes and garlic..tons of concentrated flavor there.
After I peeled off the skins, I simmered the tomatoes with some vegetable broth and tomato paste. I added a touch of sugar and balsamic for flavor and to round out the acidity in the tomatoes.
I considered adding coconut milk at this point but wanted to taste the flavor of pure roasted tomatoes so I pureed the mixture in the blender and did taste test one. I could definitely tell these tomatoes were roasted as they had a much sweeter flavor than using canned tomatoes. There was a nice black pepper taste but there was something lacking.
I looked out to my patio and saw the basil plants getting some nice watering by mother-nature. I added a handful of basil leaves to the blender and blended away. Much better. So simple and tasty.
I am sure there are a ton of versions of tomato soup but I loved the simplicity of this one and the freshness from fresh versus canned tomatoes.
Now that my belly is warm I can work on some meal planning, laundry and house cleaning (yipee!). I also have some serious TV to catch up on. Did I tell you I bought the Apple TV and got a subscription to Hulu and Netflix? I started watching Downton Abbey which was recommended by several people and I am coming up on the end of season 1 and think it’s ok so far. I assume it will get better? Anyone know?
That’s all for now- have a great week!
- 2 lbs plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- 8 cloves of garlic peeled
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place tomatoes, cut side up on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Add whole garlic cloves, season with salt, pepper, dried basil and olive oil. Toss with hands to combine.
- Roast for 30-35 minutes or until tomatoes are soft, lightly browned on the bottom and skins are starting to peel off.
- Remove from oven and peel off skins using tongs or your fingers (once tomatoes have cooled a bit). Discard peels and any burnt pieces of garlic.
- Meanwhile heat vegetable stock to a boil in a medium size pot, add peeled tomatoes, garlic and all the juices and tomato paste; stir well.
- Reduce heat, add sugar and balsamic vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Place tomato mixture into a blender, with cap removed to allow for steam to escape. Add fresh basil leaves and blend on medium until smooth.
- Pour soup back into pot and keep on warm until ready to serve.
If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, try this recipe for Creamy Tomato Soup – it’s delicious and so simple too.
I thought this soup looked interesting too, Coconut Curry Chicken Soup, and it got very high reviews (photo courtesy of Cooking Light, click HERE for recipe). Only problem is my kids wouldn’t eat it, but I can tell I would like it! Need to add it to the “to make” list.
There is still time to enter my food goodie bag giveaway- go check it out HERE!
Questions: Have you ever roasted tomatoes? Is it cold where you are? What did you do this weekend?
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Easy Vegetable Soup
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Skillet
Baked Chicken Tacos
I absolutely adore roasted tomatoes. Well, really any roasted veggie is outstanding in my opinion. So much flavor comes out when prepared that way. Thankfully we still have plenty of tomatoes available from our garden that I’ll have to make this soon!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama recently posted..September 2013 in Review
Lucky girl! I only planted 2 tomato plants because I don’t have a clue when it comes to gardening….realized I need to plant way more than that next year. I agree, roasted everything is delicious!
it is COOOLD here–for what we are used to.
FINALLY soup season and for the first time in 7 years the child!likes!soup!!
Miz recently posted..Four lessons resistance training taught me about life.
I am excited for the cold weather…and even better it doesn’t get freezing her just cold enough to wear sweaters and light jackets. 🙂
i haven’t ever roasted tomatoes and we have a tomato garden in our backyard! and we also have a basil plant so this soup sounds perfect!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted..Foodie Pen Pals September
Lucky! I made the mistake of only planted 2 tomato plants and they didn’t make it. Next year I am planting a ton!
This is like the soup I am addicted to! Will try your variation soon! So yes, I adore roasted tomatoes! Ha ha…not cold here! Hopefully it will cool off a bit soon!
Oh I really don’t miss the heat. I actually don’t mind it hot when it’s supposed to be hot in the summer, but I will miss having a real autumn season if we ever move back.
Need to try this one! I LOVE tomato soup and it’s just the perfect time of the year for it. I’ll be adding these ingredients at the farmer’s market this week!
misszippy recently posted..Utah makes the grade
So excited it’s soup weather (at least here it is)! Enjoy if you do get to make it!
I love it! So simple too 🙂
Kierston @candyfit recently posted..For The Love Of….
Love simple ingredients- makes meal prep much easier.
I have not roasted tomatoes in years, I think! But they are soooo good. I think I can smell this through the screen!
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast recently posted..Progress, not perfection
The kids said it smelled like pizza…little did they know. 😉
I love roasted tomatoes! It adds such a great depth o flavor, especially in the cooler months when they aren’t at their peak.
I do a creamy tomato soup too, but I use tofu to keep it n the lighter side and add protein!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted..Cherry-Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt + NuNaturals Giveaway
Ooh, good idea with the tofu! It’s amazing how different the tomato flavor is when roasted.
This sounds amazing!! Pinning to try this fall!
Amber @ ExSoyCise recently posted..My Interview with Kasey Arena from Powercakes Blog!
Thanks Amber! 🙂
I can’t wait until my weather is cool enough to crave soup! That looks lovely. Pinning for cooler weather!
Debbie @ Live from La Quinta recently posted..Skora Base Running Shoes: A Review. Plus a Treadmill Interval Workout!
Yes, hopefully soon! Thanks Debbie!
Yummm! I want a big bowl with a huge hunkin’ grilled cheese to dip in it! PS, those tomato pictures are goooorgeous!
Ari @ Ari’s Menu recently posted..Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Haha, thanks Ari. As soon as I made the soup and started photographing it I was wishing I would’ve taken the extra time to make a grilled cheese. Poor planning, but next time I will!!!
Made this yesterday and fell in love with the recipe. Enjoyed a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch – soooooo good! Have you ever made this in bulk? If so, how did you preserve it? I’m seeing mixed reviews/instructions on doing hot bath canning (my first choice as my freezer space is limited), so I’d love any feedback/guidance! Thanks!
Danielle, you made my day- thank you! Glad you like it. I have never made bulk portions of this. My family goes through so much food that it’s often difficult for me to make enough for leftovers. I have never canned either. I don’t know why but it kind of intimidates me! Let me know if you figure it out. I do want to eventually buy one of those food saver vacuum sealer machines (like the sell at Costco) so you can freeze things like soups and casseroles in vacuum sealed bags that don’t take up much room. My sister-in-law does it and it’s amazing how much room it saves in the freezer! Good luck!