Description
This creamy tomato soup takes roasted garlic to a whole new level of delicious – one spoonful and you’ll never go back to the canned stuff again!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs (1.4 kg) ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma or plum, halved
- 2 whole heads of garlic
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion (about 1 cup), diced
- 2 medium carrots (about ½ cup), diced
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
- 4 cups (950 ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream or coconut cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place halved tomatoes on a baking sheet, cut-side up. Cut tops off garlic heads, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and wrap in foil. Place on baking sheet with tomatoes.
- Drizzle tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes until tomatoes are caramelized and garlic is soft.
- While roasting, heat remaining olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and carrots with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until softened.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until darkened slightly.
- Add roasted tomatoes to pot. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from skins into pot. Add thyme, red pepper flakes, and broth.
- Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth, or carefully transfer to a standard blender in batches.
- For ultra-silky texture, strain through a fine-mesh sieve (optional).
- Return to low heat, stir in heavy cream and fresh basil. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding sugar if needed.
- Warm gently without boiling. Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves and a swirl of cream.