While most people enjoy heirloom tomatoes as the stars of summer salads, I indulged a sudden craving for heirloom tomato soup. Catching a slight summer cold certainly had something to do with this odd summer hankering. This recipe is incredibly simple with a sublime aroma of garlic, tomato, and rosemary that will permeate the kitchen.

The Recipe: 

Quarter five pounds of heirloom tomatoes and assemble in a large baking dish. Add a large onion cut into chunks, and as much fresh garlic as you like. Make sure the dish is large enough to accommodate the tomato juices as that juice is the broth for this soup. Drizzle two tablespoons olive oil over the tomatoes and add a smattering of salt and fresh ground pepper. Nestle a few fresh rosemary springs into the dish and pop it into a preheated 400 degree oven for an hour or until the tomatoes are caramelized the juices almost overflow.

Remove the hot caramelized tomatoes, onions, and garlic from the oven and transfer to a pot. Add as much fresh basil as you wish and if you like it really garlic-y, add a raw clove to the pot. Using a hand blender, puree the contents until it resembles a beautifully creamy tomato soup. This perfect soup doesn’t need a lick of cream, butter, or stock but now would be the time to add that if you like.

Once the soup is pureed, taste it and add more fresh ground pepper, salt, fresh basil, thyme, or garlic. The soup would also make a delectable sauce for just about any protein or vegetable.

 Enjoy the host of health benefits tomatoes offer. From vitamin C, A, and K, to cancer-fighting lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Post  your opinion about this soup to the comments.

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