Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

[valoise]

A friend recently gave me some ripe tomatoes from their garden and I've got fresh time and basil in my garden so I decided to give this recipe a try. You can find it on the Food Network web page www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-tomato-basil-soup-recipe-1940376  I liked it a LOT. The only deviations from the recipe: I forgot to add the red pepper flakes (it was good anyway), I sauteed the garlic & onion in olive oil instead of butter, and I used an immersion blender instead of a food mill to puree the soup. You could easily make this a vegan dish by using water or vegetable stock instead of chicken.

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.