My lovely next door neighbor dropped off a big bag of tomatoes from her backyard plants. We are nearing the end of the season and she was kind enough to share some of the last of her bounty. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to use them and then thought, SOUP. To bump up the flavor and use the 2 sort of sad looking red peppers I had in the fridge, I decided to roast them as well. The end result was a roasted, flavorful, satisfying bowl of yummy soup from a few simple ingredients treated right. It all comes together quickly for an easy weeknight meal, or something you can keep warm on the stove after a night of trick or treating. Plus, it’s the perfect match to an oozing grilled cheese!
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4-6
Here’s what you need:
- 2 lbs tomatoes halved (Roma or your favorite variety)
- 2 red bell peppers seeded and deveined and cut in large pieces
- 1 onion cut in large chunks
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 4 large sprigs thyme
- 1 14.5 oz can undrained diced tomatoes
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 6 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP sugar (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
On 1 sheet pan put your red pepper and onion. Toss with 3 TBSP of olive oil and salt and pepper. I use about a tsp of each to roast them. On a 2nd sheet pan put your halved tomatoes, garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs. Toss with the other 3 TBSP of olive oil and salt and pepper. (If you like sweeter tomatoes, sprinkle the sugar and toss with the mixture)
Roast the 2 sheet pans of vegetables for 20 minutes. I had mine on an upper and lower rack. At the halfway point (10 minutes) I tossed the veggies on each pan and switched racks so they all roasted evenly. When full cook time is complete, pull both sheet pans out of the oven.
Your peppers and onions should have nice char marks and your tomatoes should be shriveled and released of their juices. You want ALLL this juicy goodness!
In a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat add your can of undrained diced tomatoes, the pan of roasted peppers* and onions, and all the tomatoes, garlic, and thyme. Including all the oil and juices on the pans. Pour all that tastiness into the pot. It’s flavor!
Next add your tomato paste and basil leaves.
Let all these ingredients simmer together on the stove for about 5-7 minutes. After it has simmered, remove the thyme stems and throw them away.
Once you have removed the thyme stems, you can blend your soup. I used an immersion blender in the pot, but you can also do this in a traditional blender. Just be cautious in a regular blender because the liquid is very hot and will steam. It’s best to put a towel over the lid while you are blending hot liquids.
Salt and pepper to your taste buds desire, and that is it! The end result is a creamy, delicious, tomatoey warm soup! Garnish with some fresh basil leaves, croutons, or even a drizzle of chili onion crunch would be AMAZING!
*I did not remove the skin of the roasted red peppers when I pulled them from the oven. The texture once blended was fine for me. BUT if you don’t like the extra texture, halve your peppers to roast them instead of large pieces. Once they have roasted in the oven, place the pepper halves in a bag and let them steam for about 5 minutes. Peel off the skin and add them to the pot. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as is!
Cook. Clink. Chaos. 