Cold Season = Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup

Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup

Although my three year old son doesn't like to share his toys, he's more than willing to share his cold with me. When I get a cold all I want is soup...tomato soup.

So off to the kitchen I went. I couldn't handle anything too complicated tonight so I made up a batch of "Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup."

First I drained 2 cans of whole tomatoes - the juice went into a big pot and the tomatoes went onto a baking sheet (along with 2 fresh ones because they were in my veggie bowl). I roasted them for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. (Warning: when I took them out of the oven the steam set my smoke detectors off!) I also added a head of garlic to roast with the tomatoes.

While they were roasting, I sauteed a carrot, stalk of celery and a half of a red onion in a little oil. I also cut up about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of fresh basil - I love basil so the more the better.

All of this went into the big pot with the tomato juice. I added two cups of chicken stock but veggie stalk or probably even tomato juice would work. The roasted tomatoes and garlic were added to the mix along with a pinch of sage and thyme and about a quarter cup of olive oil.

I used my hand blender to puree the whole thing. Now I like this soup with a thick/slightly chunky texture but if that isn't your style, it could be put through a sieve too. You could also add milk or cream if you wanted too. I like it without.

The soup will be even better tomorrow but it hit the spot tonight - my cold is still here but my stomach is happy!