Roasted Tomato Soup is a delicious summer meal.

With garden-fresh tomatoes in abundant supply, summer and fall are the perfect times to enjoy this quick and easy Roasted Tomato Soup. Top it with some sourdough brie toast and this is a match made in heaven.

Photo byThat Recipe

Tomato soup with croutons or popcorn was a "Dad's working" dinner when I was growing up. My father, like my husband, did not think soup constituted a meal.

This is a kicked up version of that canned soup classic that involves slow roasting the tomatoes for about an hour for added flavor depth.

In the summer? Who has time for that or wants to heat up the house? Roast the tomatoes ahead of time, then blend and heat the soup just before serving. I am partial to my toaster oven for tasks like this. It generates less heat than the "big oven".

Slow roasting the tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness. Note that the browning that occurs during this process will create a darker soup than using raw tomatoes.

What type of tomatoes should I use for Roasted Tomato Soup?

You can use pretty much any tomato. I'd stay away from cherry and grape tomatoes because they'll be harder to slice flat.

For a nicer look, use tomatoes of the same color. If you mix yellow and red tomatoes, the end result may not be visually appealing.

Recipe

Ingredients

Soup

• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 bunch fresh basil (washed and patted dry, plus additional sprigs for garnish)
• 1 medium yellow onion (peeled and cut into quarters.)
• 2 stalks stalks celery (washed and cut into chunks)
• 2-3 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (room temperature or slightly warmed)
• salt and black pepper (to taste)

Sourdough Brie Toast

• 2 slices sourdough bread (crusts removed)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 3 ounces Brie cheese (crust removed, cut into thin slices)

Instructions

Roasted Tomatoes

• Preheat oven to 300℉
• Slice tomatoes into ½” slices and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Leave room between slices to prevent over-crowding. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Place baking sheet in the oven and roast approximately 1 hour or until the tomatoes are browned around the edges.

Sourdough Brie Toast

• Remove crust from 2 slices of sourdough bread. Cut each slice into 4 equal-sized rectangles and brush one side with melted butter. Place buttered side down on a heated grill pan until browned grill marks appear. Remove from heat and flip each piece of sourdough over so the grill marks are facing up and top with a slice of Brie.
• Place grill pan under a broiler right before you’re ready to serve the soup and heat for approximately 2 minutes, or until the Brie is soft and starting to melt. Don’t leave under too long or all the Brie will run off the bread.

Prepare the Soup

• Once tomatoes are done roasting, remove from oven and cool slightly. Add roasted tomato slices to high-powered blender or food-processor, along with stock, basil, onion, celery, garlic, cumin, warmed heavy cream, salt and pepper.
• Blend on high until smooth and thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If desired, add additional chicken or vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon at a time, and re-blend to achieve desired consistency.
• To serve, top with the grilled cheese toasts and sprig of fresh basil.