Tomato season is at its peak so last week Jason and I drove about an hour north of LA to Underwood Family Farms where, for five dollars a person you get access to acres upon acres of gardens. All of their organic produce looked so vibrant and fresh, so of course I went picking happy. Not only did we get the juiciest of tomatoes, but their zucchini, squash blossoms, carrots, bell peppers, and different kinds of lettuce had us leaving with several bags and a smile on our face. The best part, we got it all for only $12, which was unbelievable!

Coming home with 8 lbs of tomatoes, I knew I would make a roasted tomato and garlic soup. My favorite combo! Made this soup with fresh, organic ingredients and it was a hit! I can’t stress enough what a difference fresh ingredients make.

As for the croutons, important to use thick cut sourdough slices to really soak up the soup. Perfect soup for the whole family on a cozy fall day.

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ROASTED TOMATO & GARLIC SOUP

Yield: 6

Author: Yasmine Wahab

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

Ingredients

FOR THE SOUP

4 lbs tomatoes on a vine
1 tbsp fresh thyme
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp crushed chili
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, julienned plus more for garnish
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups vegetable broth
Salt & black pepper

FOR THE CROUTONS

2 slices sourdough
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Place in a large bowl and pour in olive oil, thyme, garlic cloves, salt & pepper and combine. Transfer to large baking sheet and pop in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool a bit then remove the skin.
In a dutch oven on medium heat, heat 2 tbsp olive oil then add the onions, carrots and shallots. Cook until translucent. Add the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add crushed chili, basil, tomato paste, roasted tomatoes and garlic (with juices) and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Add more salt & pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, add and combine olive oil and salt & pepper. Cut 2 slices of sourdough and brush with olive oil mixture and pop in a toaster oven for 3-5 minutes or until crispy. Roughly cut into bite size pieces.
Serve tomato soup in deep bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with croutons and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!