soups on!

I swear...I wait all summer long for the temperature to dip below 15 degrees Celcius (59 degrees Farenheit for all you Americans). Don't get me wrong, I love summer, but at 15 degrees, I can wear jeans all day long without having them stick to my legs...I can flat iron my hair and not end up looking like frizzy poodle by the end of the day...and I can make a big pot of soup without turning our apartment into a sweat shop.
Soup is one of my all time favourite meals. Served with a side of fresh bread, some cheese and crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches...hmmm...it just brings me back to Sunday afternoons after church. I'm sure all you Dutchies can relate! Any true Dutch mom makes a big pot of soup on Saturday and the family gathers 'round on Sunday afternoons to a big spread of soup and buns, a big hunk of Dutch cheese (Gouda for anyone scratching their head), and possibly Boterhamworst (if someone had made it to Ramaker's that week).
My mom's typical Sunday soup was nothing you could ever write a recipe for. While it was kindly referred to as "fridge soup" in our house, that's exactly what it was! Whatever was in the fridge that week...some vegetables that were starting to go bad, a half empty jar of spaghetti sauce, a couple sausages from last nights dinner...it all went into the soup! It was never the same, but it was always good!
This soup is slightly more structured than "fridge soup". A sudden abundance of tomatoes in my fridge had me scouring for the best possible tomato soup recipe, and as I have always been a fan, I counted on the Barefoot Contessa to stear me in the right direction. While I varied slightly from the original recipe, the results were still amazing! After making this big batch for just the two of us, I was really able to experiment with it for the next week. This soup tastes great just as it is...feel free to grate some sharp cheese in it, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil or cream, or even toss in some croutons. It can also double as a marinara sauce to pour over pasta and, as I ran out of pizza sauce this week, I used it on top of pizza crust and it turned out amazing too! You could toss in some chicken or ground beef if you're looking for something heartier, or even some fresh seafood for a spin on seafood chowder! It really is the soup that keeps on giving.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

- (~4) cups of ripe tomatoes cut in half lengthwise (Roma tomatoes work great, but any kind works)
- (1/4) cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- (1) tbsp of salt
- (1 1/2) tsp of freshly ground pepper
- (8-10) cloves of garlic (I know...crazy!!!)
- (2) cups of chopped yellow onions (about 2 onions)
- (2) tbsp of butter
- (1/2) tsp crushed red pepper flakes (add more or less depending on your preference)
- (1) 28 oz. can of plum tomatoes (whole, diced, or crushed...however you prefer)
- (4) cups of fresh basil leaves
- (1) quart (946 mL) of chicken stock or water

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Toss your halved tomatoes with 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt, pepper and about 4 or 5 cloves of garlic (whole). Spread tomatoes and garlic out on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. If you're using some smaller tomatoes such as cherry or grape tomatoes, keep an eye on them as they have much less liquid in them and tend to roast faster.

In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter and the red pepper flakes over medium heat in a large stockpot. Mince the remaining garlic and add to the oil along with the chopped onions. Saute for about 10 minutes or until the onions start to brown.

Add the canned tomatoes (I ended up using about 3 cups of pureed Roma tomatoes instead), the fresh basil and the chicken stock. Don't worry if you don't have the full 4 cups of fresh basil, just what you have. And if you don't have fresh basil, freeze dried or regular dried basil works too. I totally recommend trying to get your hands on the real stuff, but substituting a couple heaping teaspoons of dried basil will still taste great!

Add the oven-roasted tomatoes along with any liquid left on the baking sheet.

Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. At this point you can do as you like...leave the soup as it is - super chunky, puree it slightly using an immersion blender, a regular blender or a food mill, or completely puree the soup until it's totally smooth. I like my soup with a bit of texture, so I just gave it a few quick buzzes using my immersion blender.

Season to taste and enjoy! This soup can last for at least a week in the fridge, but throw it in the freezer and it will taste just as delicious next time you heat it up!