posted by Mai 03-12-103 8:51 AM
Simply Outrageous Roasted Tomato Soup
Soup:
3 pounds tomatoes (about 4 large), washed, seeded, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 small shallots, peeled, ends removed, coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled, ends removed, coarsely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, core removed, bulb only, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
5 sprigs fresh tarragon, washed
5 sprigs fresh parsley, washed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream, optional
Parsley croutons:
12 thin slices of French bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, ends removed, cut in half
1/2 cup Teleme or Muenster cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh parsley, washed, dried, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Coat the tomatoes with olive oil and place them, cut side down, on a non-stick or
foil-lined shallow baking dish. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are very
soft and the skins are dark. Remove from the oven and let cool.
The skins should lift off easily. Discard skins and core tomatoes. Set tomatoes aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium-size saucepan, melt butter and saute the shallots, carrot and
fennel until they are soft, about 12 minutes. Add 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock,
and the tarragon and parsley. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove
the herb sprigs and add the roasted tomatoes.
Puree the tomatoes. If you use an immersion blender to puree, soup does not need to be
cooled to puree. If using a blender or food processor, cool soup and puree, or run
through a food mill. This can be made ahead up to this point. At serving, heat soup, add
salt and pepper and add cream if desired.
To prepare croutons: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of the bread slices
with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Rub the top of each slice with garlic and
sprinkle on the cheese and parsley. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
To serve, ladle the soup into warm bowls and float two or three parsley croutons on top
of each bowl. Serves 4.