It has become a tradition of mine to make this tomato soup at the beginning of the rainy season. As the weather shifts and our summer crops wind down, I love to capture the marvelous flavor of tomatoes one last time before the rain and frost move in. After dashing around outside in the cold making sure we are ready for rain, there is nothing better than warming up with a hot bowl of homemade tomato soup. Making this soup takes a bit of time, but only minimal effort. It is made in a single pot, and you really let the oven do the work. The roasting process elevates the flavor of the tomatoes, bringing out an incredibly satisfying combination of sweetness and acidity.

 Special Equipment: a Dutch oven, an immersion blender

Roasted Tomato Soup

Recipe makes 6 to 8 servings. Total time 1 hour and 30 minutes. Active time 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup olive oil, plus more for roasting the garlic
• 1 medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 8 pounds of Early Girl or beefsteak tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1 whole head of garlic
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• Koster salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil and onion to a Dutch oven and sauté over medium heat until onion is golden in color, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons salt and cook and stir occasionally for another 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and mix well. Bring the pot to a boil and turn off the heat.

3. Cut the top off the head of garlic. Place garlic head in the center of a square of aluminum foil and drizzle olive oil over top. Wrap foil around so oil will not leak. Place wrapped garlic head in a small cast iron pan. Roast the garlic and the tomatoes (uncovered) in the oven for 1 hour.

4. Remove both pans from oven and squeeze garlic cloves from the head and into Dutch oven. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup to a smooth texture. Bring to a low simmer on stovetop, then stir in sugar and Parmesan. Slowly add cream, stirring constantly. Salt to taste. Tear basil and add to soup.

Recipe first featured on Ranch To Table Season 2 Episode 2: Cold Day on The Ranch on the Magnolia Network.

Enjoy!

Elizabeth

Photos: Brian Skope