Time for Preserving!! Oven Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

The Last Rose of Summer's End....

Time for Preserving Summer's Bounty!!

The last official weekend of summer is here...Labor Day....and with it we all turn our thoughts to autumn.... longer evenings, cooler days, football and tailgates, Halloween followed by Thanksgiving followed by Christmas.  Yikes....the year is over!!  

As I wondered through Sonoma Valley last week I saw an abundance of  beautiful flowers, fruits (grapes especially...the harvest was just beginning) and vegetable gardens.  It made me long for summer to linger at this stage a little longer just so I could savor all the colors, flavors and beauty that lay in the countryside.

At Chateau St Jean, clusters of grapes greeted us as we walked into the lovely courtyard.

The vegetables at Coppola  were abundant and ripe for the harvest as I walked through the gardens waiting for my dinner to arrive.

  

The view of the Clois Du Bois vineyard from the deck of the Coppola Restaurant was breath taking.

After returning home I kicked into "Preserving" mode so that I could have some of this wonderful summer bounty way into the winter months on my dinner table.  I have an abundance of basil this year.  I have been making and freezing Pesto since June but today I decided to make my special Tomato Basil Soup and freeze it.  This soup is just wonderful....I make is extra rich with lots and lots of Basil, Onions, Garlic and Tomatoes.  I only make this soup when I have LOTS of Basil in my garden because I use so much in the soup.  It would be cost prohibitive to make it in the winter.  So...I freeze it in a very concentrated form and finish it when I am ready to eat it.  Want to know the recipe.....

Oven-Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

3 pounds ripe tomatoes cut into wedges

1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 TBSP

1 TBSP Kosher Salt

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 pounds chopped yellow onions (3-4 large onions)

6 cloves garlic minced

4 TBSP butter 

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flake

28 ounce canned diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano

28 ounce canned crushed tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano (Any Italian spiced mixture will do)

6 cups fresh Basil leaves, packed

4-5 sprigs of fresh Thyme

2 quarts chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1.  Cut tomatoes into wedges and put on half sheet pan.

 2.  Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper.

 2.  Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper

3.  Place the tomatoes in the 400 degree oven for 45 mintues.  Toss the sheet pan every 10 minutes to insure even cooking of the tomatoes.  The tomatoes will char during this process.  That gives the soup a more "Fire-Roasted" flavor.

4.   Put the baking sheet on a rack to cool until needed.

5.  In an 8 quart stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in the 4 TBSP of butter and 2 TBSP of olive oil.  Saute for 10 minutes until the onions start to brown around the edges.

 6.  Add the 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper to the onions and garlic.

 7.  Add the canned tomatoes to the stockpot with the onions and garlic.

8.  Add the chicken stock to the mixture.  I had homemade chicken stock in the freezer which I thawed and used.  You can use canned if you like or water will work too.

9.  Add the basil, thyme and the oven roasted tomatoes with the cooking liquid on the pan.

Beautiful, Fresh basil from my garden makes this soup the best!!

10.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 40 minutes.  This makes the soup rich and thick.

While I was waiting for the soup to finish I made another batch of Pesto.  If you want to know how I do it you can find it here

11.  After the soup has cooked for 40 minutes I take my immersion blender and insert into the pot.  I then blend the soup to a semi-smooth texture.  I like having some bits of tomato left in my soup.  You can decide the texture that you like best and work to that end.  If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a food mill or a stationery blender.  Just remember you are working with HOT liquid so take the necessary precautions before blending.

12.  The soup can now be eaten...yummmmmmm....or preserved to eat on a colder day .  It was 99 degrees the day I made this batch.
The soup is great frozen or canned.  Today I chose to freeze the soup in smaller containers which would be big enough for 2 servings.   

 13.  When soup is cooled place lids on tightly and label.  Store for up to 6 months in the freezer. 

14.  When serving thaw the soup, add to stockpot.  At this time you can add chicken broth to the concentrated liquid to desired consistency.   I add about 1/2 cup liquid to 1 cup of the soup.  Cream is also an option which makes the soup richer.  I add 1/4 cup cream, 1/4 cup chicken broth to one cup soup base.

Be creative and enjoy this rich, spicy tomato soup on a cold evening and remember summer's flavors at their finest.

Oven-Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

3 pounds ripe tomatoes cut into wedges

1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 TBSP

1 TBSP Kosher Salt

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 pounds chopped yellow onions (3-4 large onions)

6 cloves garlic minced

4 TBSP butter 

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flake

28 ounce canned diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano

28 ounce canned crushed tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano (Any Italian spiced mixture will do)

6 cups fresh Basil leaves, packed

4-5 sprigs of fresh Thyme

2 quarts chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1.  Cut tomatoes into wedges and put on half sheet pan.
2.  Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper

3.  Place the tomatoes in the 400 degree oven for 45 mintues.  Toss the sheet pan every 10 minutes to insure even cooking of the tomatoes.  The tomatoes will char during this process.  That gives the soup a more "Fire-Roasted" flavor.

4.   Put the baking sheet on a rack to cool until needed.

5.  In an 8 quart stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in the 4 TBSP of butter and 2 TBSP of olive oil.  Saute for 10 minutes until the onions start to brown around the edges.
 6.  Add the 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper to the onions and garlic.

 7.  Add the canned tomatoes to the stockpot with the onions and garlic.
8.  Add the chicken stock to the mixture.  I had homemade chicken stock in the freezer which I thawed and used.  You can use canned if you like or water will work too.
9.  Add the basil, thyme and the oven roasted tomatoes with the cooking liquid on the pan.
10.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 40 minutes.  This makes the soup rich and thick.
11.  After the soup has cooked for 40 minutes I take my immersion blender and insert into the pot.  I then blend the soup to a semi-smooth texture.  I like having some bits of tomato left in my soup.  You can decide the texture that you like best and work to that end.  If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a food mill or a stationery blender.  Just remember you are working with HOT liquid so take the necessary precautions before blending.
12.  The soup can now be eaten...yummmmmmm....or preserved to eat on a colder day .  It was 99 degrees the day I made this batch.
The soup is great frozen or canned.  Today I chose to freeze the soup in smaller containers which would be big enough for 2 servings
13.  When soup is cooled place lids on tightly and label.  Store for up to 6 months in the freezer. 
14.  When serving thaw the soup, add to stockpot.  At this time you can add chicken broth to the concentrated liquid to desired consistency.   I add about 1/2 cup liquid to 1 cup of the soup.  Cream is also an option which makes the soup richer.  I add 1/4 cup cream, 1/4 cup chicken broth to one cup soup base.

Happy Trails....until we eat again!!

Mtn Mama