If they serve soup in heaven...

It is near impossible for me to pass up a good Tomato Basil soup. Whether I am at a restaurant or someone's home, the perfect flavor combination of subtly sweet tomato and the slightly spicy basil lure me in every time.
While in Michigan last week for a family wedding, I purchased some beautiful heirloom tomatoes at a farmers market... they all were different varieties, shapes, sizes and flavors and promised to make some outstanding soup. They did not disappoint.

My favorite tomato basil soup recipe comes from Ina Garten. Ina is an amazingly talented chef who frequents the Food Network... she always comes up with simply mouth watering recipes and definitely hit the mark with her Roasted Tomato Basil Soup.

You start by roasting fresh tomatoes (chopped up and seasoned with salt, pepper & olive oil) at 400* in the oven for 45 minutes.... roasted tomatoes are one of the most delicious foods you will ever eat. The tomato flavor is intensified and mixed with good olive oil, and honestly, there are few flavors better than this simple one.......I eat them alone, or even just on some garlic toast with a baby arugula salad.......I think i just found my lunch for the day.

Back to the soup.....

While the tomatoes are roasting, sauté the onions, red pepper flakes & garlic until the onions are translucent and slightly browned. Next comes the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock. The roasted tomatoes should be finished at this point in the process, and you can add them to the pot along with the liquid on the baking sheet. This liquid is all of the tomato juices intensified by the baking process and melded with the seasoning and olive oil... it's like liquid gold :) Delicious.

Once the roasted tomatoes are added, bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes (uncovered.) After 40 minutes Ina says to pass the soup through a food mill... well.... I don't have one of these, but I do have a hand-held immersion blender :) THESE ARE SO MUCH FUN. They are exactly what they sound like and do a fantastic job at blending whatever you ware working on... they are especially good at allowing you to decide how blended you want your product. I've used my immersion blender every time that I've made this soup and every time it has worked perfectly.

Quick Tip... if you leave this soup slightly chunky, you can use it as a really fresh and delicious pasta sauce... or if you puree some of the soup to a smoother consistency you can even use it as a component to bruschetta. (Slice a baguette in diagonal slices, rub some fresh garlic on each slice, top with a small layer of the pureed soup, place a basil leaf, a few sun dried tomatoes, salt, pepper and some fresh mozzarella cheese on top and pop in the oven until the cheese gets all melty and wonderful..... or you can opt to not bake it for a more traditional and more fresh bruschetta)

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