roasted tomato soup

The list of things that I love more than a rainy, lazy Sunday that's spent drinking hot tea, and making soup is a very short one. Gray skies and soup were made for one another.

I have a go-to soup for end of summer days like this. (Yes, it's still summery here. It seems as though fall hasn't gotten the North Texas memo, yet.)

ingredients:
3 lbs. tomatoes on the vine
4 cloves of garlic
6 shallots
1/2 cup fresh basil
4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
olive oil
sea salt
cracked pepper


directions:
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Cut tomatoes in half, and remove core and seeds. Peel garlic. Peel and quarter the shallots. Place tomatoes, garlic and shallots on a baking sheet, and drizzle (generously) with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes.


Put tomatoes, shallot and garlic (along with any juices on the roasting sheet) into a large pot, with the 4 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile chop the basil. Add the basil to the pot after you've turned off the heat, and puree the soup in batches. Season with one teaspoon of salt.