I think hanging on to summer is officially over.
All the flower pots are dried up and I’m tired of watering them anyway.
The darkness lingers longer in the morning and arrives noticeably earlier each evening.
Yesterday for the first time, I had to put on long pants. The air is crisp and it is a welcoming change.
I love autumn. The food co-op box is still plentiful with a variety of hearty vegetables and the last of the delicious tomatoes that have been so abundant this year.
And people everywhere are scrambling to harvest them or cover them in hopes they’ll ripen the last bit still hanging on the vine.
To transition from summer to fall and make use of all those tomatoes still available, I say, let’s make soup!
Soup weather is upon us. It’s one more thing I love about this time of year. Soup is good any time of year, but, I think we all agree that it’s more appreciated in colder months.
This is a quick and easy recipe that will warm your soul with the last little bit of summer sunshine.
Serve with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich and it’s perfect for kids or grownups alike!
Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup with Fresh Basil
- 3 lbs. fresh tomatoes, (roma, vine or plum) cored and halved
- 10 cloves fresh garlic
- 2 small onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 c. good quality olive oil
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 Tbs. fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 1/3 c. fresh basil leaves torn in small pieces
- 1/2 c. heavy cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Spread tomatoes, garlic and onion on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast for 20-30 minutes until nice and caramelized.
Transfer to a small stock pot along with juices from pan, chicken stock, thyme and oregano.
Simmer over medium low heat until liquid is slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth consistency is reached.
Alternately you can transfer soup to a regular blender and puree in small batches if you do not have an immersion blender.
At this point you can strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer to achieve a silky texture or leave it as is.
It’s delicious either way! Season to taste with salt or pepper; add basil and heavy cream if desired.
Serve with crusty bread or grilled cheese and a green salad for a light dinner.
Enjoy!