Simple, delish, and perfect for the cooler weather!!

I have been craving tomato soup ever since a co-worker of mine had some a few weeks ago. The weather has cooled down and I have been in a cooking mood, so I thought it was perfect time to try making tomato soup! I hate the tomato soup that comes from a Campbell's can, so I searched for a recipe that had a depth of flavor. The only change I would make for next time is to use more red pepper flakes and to try using fresh basil, and maybe a little more of it. I briefly thought about roasting my own red bell peppers, but I thought I would wait until the 2nd time I made this soup. I can't wait to make more of this soup!

Roasted tomato and red bell pepper soup.

Ingredients

6 or 7 tomatoes (apple sized) cored and cut in half

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

2 large yellow onions, chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 cans low fat low sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 or more of a 12 ounce jar Roasted Red Bell Pepper

1/8 cup dried basil

couple dashes of red pepper flakes

Kosher sale and freshly cracked pepper

3 Tbsp cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Place tomato halves in metal 13x9 pan (I used a cookie sheet). Sprinkle shopped garlic in pan, sprinkle carrots in pan around tomatoes and garlic. Add onions in last. Pour olive oil over veggies and make sure they are coated. Arrange tomatoes so they are resting cut side down in pan.

Bake one hour.

About 10 minutes before veggies are done, add chicken broth and water to large stock pot with 1 Tbsp butter and bring to a boil. Simmer.

Remove veggies from the oven. Pull peels off of tomatoes (this was very easy, they pulled right off). Put veggies and in the stock pot with broth. Add 1/2 or more of a jar of Roasted Red Pepper. Add 1/8 cup basil. Add kosher salt, cracked pepper, red pepper flakes to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes or so. Using an immersible heat resistant blender (or a food processor) to blend soup to a desired consistency. Add a tablespoon or so of cream per batch that you blend. Since I used a food processor, I had to do it in two different batches. I made a little boo-boo and filled the container a little to high and it squirted over my walls :)

Before roasting

After roasting.... this pan was a bitch to get clean. I was afraid to use aluminium foil because I didn't want the veggies to get little pieces of foil stuck to them

I haven't used this brand before, but they seemed as good as any other brand I have used.

I won't lie... this part kind of sucked. Not that bad, but spooning the soupy mixture from the sauce pan to the food processor caused quite a few spills.

YUUUUUMMMMMMM!