I love soups. It’s true. I make a lot of them and I make them in large quantities and freeze half for a rainy day. For me, there’s nothing like this slow Oven Roasted Tomato Soup. I use lots of garlic and often keep it really plain. But you can season it any way you like. At the bottom I’ve included some ideas on how to really change the flavor. You could even make a large batch and keep it plain and then change it one cup at a time. No matter what you do, this Oven Roasted Tomato Soup is a classic.

Ingredients:
6 pounds roma tomatoes (other varieties work too, but Romas are cheap and flavorful roasted in the winter)
2 medium onions
10 cloves garlic
⅓ cup olive oil
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons pepper
1 cup white wine for bottom of pan
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

Good whole grain bread
Parmesan
Optional:
Dried or fresh herbs (basil, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, thyme are all nice)
Cream makes it extra rich
Lemon zest from one lemon gives it a little kick.
If you add lots of red pepper flakes and some dill it is reminiscent of a favorite childhood restaurant: the Summer Kitchen.
Great white northern or cannellini beans will thicken it. Roast them if you used raw and soaked them. Just puree them in if you used canned beans.

Makes almost 4 quarts. This recipe is easy to double or halve. It’s very flexible and it isn’t worth measuring the ingredients. For those of you who want to learn to improvise, this is a great recipe to take some risks on. You won’t mess it up.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half.Peel the garlic. I smash it with the flat side of my knife and then pull the skins off. 4. Slice the onions. Rough is fine since you’re pureeing the soup. Put onions, garlic, wine in the bottom or a roasting pan.Layer tomatoes inside up and spread out evenly. Add oil, salt and pepper (and peppers if yo like).Roast in the oven until everything is soft and the tomatoes are look wrinkly. 1-2 hours depending on how patient you are.Reserve a few of the tomatoes for the Warm Shrimp Salad. (Refrigerates well for a few days). Purée in a large pot with an immersion blender adding stock as needed (this is a great use for a vitamix as well). Re-season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat and serve with Parmesan Toasts or grilled cheese.

To make Parmesan Toasts:
Toast bread under broiler or in toaster. Grate Parmesan over the bread.
Broil for a minute or two. Make sure you watch it or set a timer. Serve soup with parmesan toasts or grilled cheese. $pendy Alterations:
If you want a more elegant feel, hull the tomatoes before roasting and pull the skins off once the tomatoes are fully roasted. When you puree it, it will have a smoother texture.
Thrifty Preparations:
Put everything in a slow-cooker in the morning on low. Resume at step 8 when you return home.