If I had it my way, People would pay me for my services in big bowls of soup. Until that happens – thank god it’s getting colder out. I officially have a reason to eat soup without the judgement of my boyfriend who has spent the entire summer scoffing at me and my bowl of clam chowder whilst declaring it “inappropriate to eat in 95 degree weather”.
(editors note: personal research shows that chowder is no less delicious at varying climates).
At this point, it should be no secret to you. I love soup. I’ve had dreams of owning a restaurant that solely sells soup. Yes, I realize this presents a problem if I plan to install soup as a form of currency but i’m working on it. Perhaps it could be an establishment where people come to swap soup with others? I think that’s what we’ll call a “problem solved”.
In the meantime, I will reside to my own kitchen for my next fix and while a chowder is nice – when it comes to winter – there’s one other soup that I just have to have; Tomato Soup.
Paired with a grilled cheese, it makes for the perfect classic cold weather comfort food and every season I love hearing people’s ideas for punching it up a bit. At the suggestion of adding roasted garlic – I must admit, I felt silly that I hadn’t thought of it in the first place. Yes, basil is nice but garlic is better. And roasted garlic? EVEN better.
If you’re in a roast happy mood – why not go the whole nine yards and roast some fresh tomatoes as well. Roasted tomatoes make for a nicer flavor then just opening a can or cooking them down and I would suggest it. Don’t be intimidated by all the sites that tell you it’s impossible to get nicely roasted tomatoes without an 8 hour window of time. You can easily crank up the heat a little higher and acquire perfection in less then half the time. Trust me, I did it and it came out great. (Would I lie to you?).
Roasted Garlic and Tomato Soup
- 8 Roasted plum tomatoes*
- 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cups canned plum tomatoes
- 2 Heads of Roasted Garlic**
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup of Cream (if desired). (I desire).
- Salt and Pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and saute them until they are golden. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and reduce until almost dry. Add the stock, canned tomatoes, roasted garlic and roasted tomatoes and reduce by one-quarter. Puree the mixture. I use an immersion blender which makes for a very easy clean up and allows you more control over texture. Add the thyme, honey, cream, and salt and pepper to taste and set aside until just before serving time. Sometimes if I’m in the mood, i’ll add a little feta cheese as a garnish.
*Roasted Tomatoes = Cut tomatoes in half, drizzle with oil and roast at 375 F for about 2 1/2 hours
* Roasted Garlic = Cut the top off the heads of garlic , drizzle with oil and roast in oven at 375 F for about an hour.
The Test Kitchen 