Roasted (Canned) Tomato Soup

When tomatoes aren't in season, we stock up on the canned variety and keep plenty in our pantry. Many soups, stews, sauces, etc. call for tomatoes. They're pretty versatile, too, and we toss them into a variety dishes year-round, well beyond typical Italian fare.

Yesterday, I was craving tomato soup. I've never made it at home before, but it's one of my favorites with a crusty grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough, most preferably. I'm a lover of roasting everything, as you well know, and I've drooled over many roasted tomato soup recipes online -- including this one from Deb at Smitten Kitchen.

So . . .

. . . I set out to make a roasted tomato soup with canned tomatoes, fully accepting that it may flop. But I had the time. Obviously fresh is best, but when that's not an option, I'd definitely say that this recipe yielded some tasty soup in its own right.

To roast, you'll need a rimmed baking sheet and two 1-lb cans of whole, peeled tomatoes -- drained. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. If you've worked with these tomatoes before, you know the insides are often very juicy. I also halved them and took out the seeds. I roasted 3 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped, with the bunch.

I drizzled the pan with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Then I let roast for 10 minutes, stirred, roasted another 10, stirred, another 10 stirred, until the pan turned black. That isn't an instruction. That's just what happened and why I decided to take them out when I did. 

By this time, the garlic had browned, so I let everything cool a while and then blended the tomatoes and garlic with a few tablespoons of water.


ROASTED (CANNED) TOMATO SOUP

What you'll need . . .

• Roasted tomato puree (from above)
• 1 quart vegetable broth (low sodium)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance (or butter)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . . 

1. I combined the chunky tomato puree with the ingredients above in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. I turned the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes, until thickened slightly.
3. I kept tinkering with the spices until I got it just how I wanted it.
4. I then served it with some special pumpkin garlic knots, as you'll see tomorrow.

Have you found creative ways to use canned food? What have you made?

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