Roasted Tomato Soup

For this recipe choose very ripe tomatoes. Slicing tomatoes are nice because they stand up in the pan. Don’t get scared by the length of this recipe. It’s actually very simple.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 lbs tomatoes
2 ½ cups chicken broth
Sour creme and fresh minced basil for garnish

1- Heat oven to 400°F. In small bowl, stir together oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Remove core from tomatoes; brush whole tomato with oil mixture. Place in shallow baking pan. (If you’re short on time, you can sprinkle the individual ingredients without measuring them over the tomatoes. You can also use powdered garlic and dry thyme).
2- Bake 35 to 45 min or until skins have split and tomatoes have slightly collapsed. Let cool until tomatoes can be handled. Brush seasoning off tomatoes; reserve. Remove and discard skins.
3- Put tomatoes, accumulated juices and seasoning mixture in large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Boil 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly thickened, using spoon to crush tomatoes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree slightly in blender or, if desired, pass through food mill to remove seeds.
4- Pour into soup bowls. Top each serving with sour cream and sprinkle with basil.