Today we’ll talk about tomato soup, a simple soup yet fascinating in its simplicity. I think tomatoes are the most versatile vegetables (or fruits, if we approach the problem in a scientific manner), they taste so good in so many combinations, this is why there are hundreds, even thousands of extremely tasty tomato soup recipes out there. I have two recipes,  one suitable for cold weather, and one for hot weather. The first one is a tomato soup with homemade quadretti pasta, smoked sausage and poached egg. The second one is a tomato cream, flavored with roasted garlic and fresh basil and served with laced parmesan chips.

The cream of tomato soup is so welcomed during hot summer days, when the tomatoes are in season. It is a veritable flavor, color and texture symphony and it is so easy to make. I half or quarter the tomatoes, depending on their size, I drizzle them with olive oil and I roast them until they caramelize; this extra step augments the soup’s flavor. I serve this soup with adorable parmesan chips, which give the dish not only flavor, but also an elegant touch.

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 1,5 kg ripe tomatoes
• 750ml chicken / vegetable broth
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp semi dry red wine
• 1 handful fresh tomato leaves (20g)
• 1 chili (deseeded and chopped)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 100ml heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Core the tomatoes and quarter them. Arrange them, peel side-down on a parchment paper-lined tray. Add the garlic and drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil.
2. Roast the tomatoes in the preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F (gas mark 4) for 50 – 60 minutes or until caramelized.
3. In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute the onion on low temperature until translucent. Add the chopped chili and basil and deglaze the skillet with wine.
4. Add the roasted tomatoes and the broth and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Leave the skillet aside for 5 minutes and then pour the mixture in a blender. Add the heavy cream and the creamy garlic (without its peel) and pulse until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Strain the soup to get rid of the tomato seeds and peel.
7. To prepare the parmesan chips, place 4 mounds of grated parmesan on a parchment paper-lined tray. Arrange the parmesan in order to form a thin disk (picture).
8. Bake in the preheated oven at 220°C / 425° F (gas mark 7) for 5 minutes, or until the parmesan is melted and brown on the edges.

Source: www.epicurious.com