Recipe: Homemade Tomato (and other veggie) Soup

This is one I'll be making again!  We love tomato soup around here.

(I tripled the recipe, because I had friends over.  Pictures are of the tripled recipe.)  I of course forgot to take a picture of the finished soup.  Typical.  It was smooth and delicious, trust me!

Homemade Tomato (and other Veggie) Soup

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
~1/4 c olive oil
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 c vegetable broth (or chicken broth - I was making it for vegetarian friends)
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp dried basil (or 1/4 c chopped fresh basil)

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Strain the tomatoes, reserving the juice, and spread into roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, until caramelized, stirring occasionally.

In your soup pot, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat.  Add celery, onion, carrots, and garlic.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. 

Add the roasted tomatoes, reserved juice, broth, bay leaf, and butter and tomato paste.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender. 

Remove bay leaves, add basil, and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.  (You could also transfer to a blender carefully to puree.  The immersion blender is much easier).



Fantastic with crackers or grilled cheese.