Warm and Comforting Roasted Tomato Soup

This was the perfect meal on a cold week night after a really crazy and stressful day at work last week.

And with all the tomatoes, it's got plenty of antioxidants and is somewhat healthy! We fixed that by making super yummy grilled cheese sandwiches (with some of the yummy deli meat we had used last week for the calzones we made).

This is NOT the quickest of easiest meal to make so I just want to warn you that unless you REALLY want to try it, I'd skip this one if you're in a hurry or really busy!

Here's how you make it.

Ingredients

• 6 cups (3 pints) cherry tomatoes (we used 2 pints and it made 4 large servings)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup chopped onion (we didn't use this and it was fine without it since we don't like onions)
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme (also skipped this cause we didn't have any at the house!)
• 1 cup whipping cream

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°. On a baking sheet, combine the cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer. Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled with brown spots, about 35 to 45 minutes.
2. In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, the thyme, and the roasted tomatoes, including any liquid on the baking sheet. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.
3. Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup until it's smooth. Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Without letting the soup boil, warm it over medium heat, stirring often, until steaming. Add salt and pepper, if necessary.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls. We garnished ours with some fresh parmesan. Makes about 10 cups (that was 4 servings for us since it wasn't a side, but a meal).

Nutritional Information:

Per serving of Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled-Cheese Croutons (1 cup and 6 croutons): Calories 272 Total Fat 21 g (33% DV) Saturated Fat 12 g (58% DV) Cholesterol 55 mg (18% DV) Sodium 978 mg (41% DV) Total Carbohydrate 16 g (5% DV) Fiber 2g (8% DV) Sugars 6g Protein 5 g (10% DV) Vitamin A 1344 IU (27% DV) Vitamin C 25 mg (41% DV) Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

 
Source: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/roasted-tomato-soup-699298/