Day 24: Roasted Tomato Soup and Salad

After the red meat bonanza that was this past weekend, it was time for a simple, clean, mostly-vegetarian meal. I made a creamy tomato soup, topped with a parmesan toast and served with a mixed green salad.

I dug the basic recipe off of Chowhound a while back, but I've cut wayyyyy back on the quantities of butter and cream, so this is how I make it: Open two 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes, and spread the tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet, setting the liquid aside. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on the tomatoes, then roast them at 450 for 30 minutes. When the tomatoes are ready, begin the soup: melt a little butter (I use 2 TBS or so) over medium heat, and add chopped shallots and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Lower the heat and sweat the shallots for about ten minutes. Whisk in two tablespoons of flour, then add two cups of chicken broth (we used homemade, which made a big difference), the roasted tomatoes and the reserved tomato juice. After a few, or several, minutes, blend it all together with an immersion blender. At this point, you can add fresh basil or any seasonings you'd like. The soup will be very creamy on its own, but I add about two tablespoons of cream right before taking it off the heat. (The original recipe calls for 8 TBS!) Oh, and after taking it off the heat, I add a little sherry to taste.

This soup is so delicious. The roasted tomatoes and the shallots give it a richness and depth I haven't found in any other tomato soups. Plus, it could easily be made vegetarian by using a rich vegetable broth and taking out the cream.

Jim made parmesan toasts for the soup, and I have no idea how he did them, but it involved the broiler, ciabatta bread and freshly grated cheese. We served a simple side salad as well, which served a dual purpose of cleaning out the fridge: we topped mixed greens with some leftover dressing Jim had made and the very last of his balsamic onions.