This is Heather—one of the ITS interns. I’m not a big soup fan (shhhhh… don’t tell my boss!). I don’t get along very well with hot liquids because I have no patience. However, I make an exception for this soup: it is awesome in the flavor department and the oven does most of the work for you! I’m sure that the soup is great piping hot, but it’s also very good at a more mid-range (i.e. lukewarm) temperature. Please try—you won’t be sorry!
 

Ingredients:

  • 1  cup  broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable—I use vegetable!),   divided
  • 1  tablespoon  brown sugar
  • 3  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
  • 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1  cup  coarsely chopped onion
  • 2 –  5  garlic cloves (depends on your feelings towards garlic!)
  • 2 – 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
  • 3/4  cup  half-and-half
  • Cracked black pepper (to serve)
  • Fresh basil, chiffonade (to serve)
  1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
  2. Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9” baking pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.
  3. Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half; process until smooth. For a VERY smooth soup, strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids.  For a soup with more BODY, skip the straining.  Garnish with cracked black pepper and fresh basil, if desired.
  4. Tastes great with a triple grilled cheese sandwich!

Yield: ~4 cups
Note: This soup may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat to your desired temperature over medium heat before serving.

 

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