After my latest Bountiful Baskets acquisition and a delivery from a nice neighbor, I had a ton of tomatoes. Couldn't let all these beauties go to waste, so I thought to myself, "What would Ina Garten do?" And you know what Ina would say? Get some of that chicken stock out of the freezer and make some SOUP! I remembered there was one of her soup recipes I hadn't tried. Sacrilege!
We also picked up the children's book Soup Day at the library and the kids and I have made soup three times already this week.
But this soup tops them all. Oh my. It was incredible. I photographed my culinary journey.
- 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 quart chicken stock
or water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. I used parchment paper for easier clean up.
Poor basil plant. I picked it clean.
In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown.
Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet.
Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. (I used a food processor.) Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold. I ended up thinning it with extra stock. It was just a tad too thick for me.
In the spirit of Ina, I made some homemade croutons, but I always think they get too soggy in soup. I recommend crusty bread instead.
And, just for fun, I added sauteed zucchini, yellow squash and grilled chicken to a batch.
Made it much more "man" hearty.
I can't wait for tomorrow's leftovers. Ooo, Fall is my favorite time cook. And eat.
Shane made his famous hot chocolate for the family tonight. (Collin's was dairy free of course.)
We drank it in our jammies. And then we had to change the kids into new jammies before bed.
