Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients

2 ½ lbs. Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 ¼ lbs. grape (cherry) tomatoes, halved lengthwise

8 whole cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with the back of a knife

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced

1 potato, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups lightly pack fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Small piece of pecorino or parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet with the garlic cloves.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for about 25 minutes, or until soft with charred tops.
2. While tomatoes are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers, and potato; cook while occasionally stirring, until the onion is transparent, and the potato begins to crisp on the outer edges (about 6-7 minutes).  Stir the tomato paste through the potatoes and onion; pour in the broth; season with extra salt; cover and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low; simmer for about 15 minutes or until potato is just tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic and basil to the broth (save 2 tablespoons of basil for garnish); continue to simmer until the basil is just soft (2 minutes).  Blend soup using immersion blender until smooth.
4. Optional: Pour soup through a strainer or colander to remove any skins and thick tomato pieces for a smoother soup.
5. Top with extra basil, and grated pecorino or parmesan cheese.

Serve with crusty, whole grain or fresh sourdough toast.

 Source:  https://cafedelites.com/creamy-roasted-tomato-basil-soup/

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 195 Total Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 19mg Sodium: 959mg Carbohydrates: 20g Fiber: 1.5g Sugar: 9g Protein: 8g