Rich Roasted Tomato Soup

   This tomato soup is dreamy and comforting. It has so much flavor it won't leave you wanting. When I was a kid I used to look at people eating canned tomato soup and think it was so gross. It was uniform and tasted the same cold as it did hot (in my opinion). Now this tomato soup is one of my favorite soups. Hearty, full of veggies, and spices...so opposite of it's canned prototype. Dip in a grilled cheese wedge, and you've landed in a food comfort zone, where you swing your feet off of a bench like a happy little kid. Tag me on the Instagram (wink, wink) @rosemaryandgrace if you try it.

Ingredients:

• Approx. 2-3 lbs. of tomatoes roughly cut (I like to use a couple different types of tomatoes you can get creative),
• 1/2 red onion sliced,
• 1/2 sweet onion sliced,
• 1 red pepper sliced,
• *Optional- 2-3 carrots cut in half depending on size (I like adding them for an extra veggie health punch),
• 4 whole cloves of garlic,
• Approx. 1/2 cup chopped basil,
• 4 cups veggie broth,
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes,
• 1 cup whipping cream,
• Salt and pepper to taste,
• 1 tsp. Red pepper flakes,
• 1 T raw honey or brown sugar, 
• 2 tsp. Fresh chopped oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano,
• 1 tsp. Dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme.
• Approx. 2 T of olive oil,

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sprinkle olive oil on bottom of a baking sheet (sometimes I use 2 baking sheets depending on how many veggies and tomatoes I'm using). Spread out all of the veggies and tomatoes in one layer. Leave garlic cloves whole to roast so they don't burn. Finish with another light sprinkle of olive oil on top along with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. 
3. Bake for about 30-35 min till they have a slight char, my oven is a little slow at times..so keep an eye of these. Especially watch if you have a convection oven. You want charred (not burnt) and soft veggies. 
4. While you are roasting in the oven, heat up a soup pan with the vegetable broth, oregano, honey, and thyme and bring to a low boil. 
5. Then add the whole can of crushed tomatoes and let simmer together on low. This should simmer together for about 10 minutes with an occasional stir. 
6. Once your vegetables and tomatoes are done roasting add them to a blender and pulse for about a minute 2x. 
7. Add the whipping cream, along with all the basil, to the already blended mix and blend for another 30 sec. Scrape the sides of the blender and blend again for 10 seconds if needed.
8. Add blended mixture to your pot of vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes and mix well. Continue to stir every couple minutes on a low simmer so that the cream doesn't curdle or burn on the bottom. 
9. Allow everything to simmer on a low for 5 min. making sure everything is well incorporated.  
10. Turn off the heat and serve. 

   It makes enough for 6 people which seems like a lot, but we love leftovers. It also freezes really well. I like to make it with either grilled cheeses, garlic toast, or more over the top a grilled cheese on garlic bread. You can also top it with cheese and more fresh basil if you have it! Hope you enjoy the soup! :)

*Tomato Tip- Store tomatoes in a darker place on your counter top or in your pantry. Once they're really red and a little soft, only then can you store them in the refrigerator. I don't like putting them in the fridge for long if at all. It tends to give them a mealy texture. For example, have you ever heard people describe tomatoes as flavorless or really slimy. It can come from only being stored in the fridge. Also, if you're ever able get tomatoes from a farmer's market or grow them yourself you'll find they have so much flavor. I started growing my own tomatoes a few years ago and they taste so much better. Fresh really does make a different. I used to dislike tomatoes as a kid, but now I'll eat the home grown ones right off the plants.