Creamy Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup

We haven't exactly been getting winter weather down here in New Orleans yet, but the cool evenings coupled with our home's charming lack of insulation has me longing for anything hot and slurpable (hey, if Sarah Palin can make up the word of the year, I can describe my cravings however I damn well please!). I've been sipping on broth, tea, cinnamon-spiked hot chocolate, and when I'm cold but not really wanting anything, plain old hot water. Weird, I know, but I can't quite justify a mug of hot cocoa every time I get thirsty.

The boys actually discovered this soup, after Erik scoffed at an online list of the best winter soups (or something like that). He doesn't generally consider soup to be food, since it's mostly water, but he did end up with a list of four or five off the list that I could make for dinner. Aw, thanks babe.

But, he hit the mark on this one. The garlic flavor is very present, but not sharp or overwhelming, since we roasted it beforehand. Fresh roasted tomatoes lend just a touch of sweetness to the pot, and I added a bit of milk and well-cooked potato to the original recipe for creaminess. I also replaced half the veggie stock with a tomato/chicken stock I found in the Hispanic section at the grocery for added tomato-y goodness (I highly recommend checking out the international aisle at the grocery store. You'll find some neat treasures, and a lot of things you already buy are cheaper in that aisle for some reason). And of course, a generous sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan never hurts.

Creamy Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup

Adapted from: www.1001recipe.com

Erik's response to a bite straight from the pot: "It's garlicky. It would be good with bread."

So, there you have it. Enjoy!

2-3 tomatoes

1 head garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

1 onion, chopped

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1/4 cup milk

1 well-cooked yukon potato, peeled (I just popped it in the microwave) and chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried savory

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Cut tomatoes in half and cut the top off the head of garlic, exposing most of the cloves. Put in a baking dish cut-sides up. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 45 minutes, until tomatoes are slightly shriveled and very soft and garlic is very soft and cloves are easily squeezed out of the skin (check after about 30 minutes and remove tomatoes if they're done). Peel the tomatoes and squeeze out the softened garlic.

Meanwhile, sautee onion in the remaining oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients (including tomatoes and garlic) and lower heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Puree with either an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve with crusty bread and grated parmesan.

Serves 4.

Back to Homepage