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In the late ’90s, I started a private chef business. To get some ideas for my upscale clients, I picked up a copy of Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and discovered a recipe for Roasted Tomato Basil Soup.
I had made many tomato soups, usually using canned tomatoes, not fresh. At one job, I made 10-gallon batches of creamy tomato soup, which was notoriously prone to scorching or separating if reheated incorrectly. Ina’s soup has none of the pitfalls because it has no cream or thickener other than the tomatoes. It became a go-to for my fledgling private chef business—a recipe I still make every summer.
It’s a great one, partly because of the concentrated flavor of the roasted tomatoes and partly because Ina uses some canned tomatoes, too, allowing me a little less labor. It can also be prepped ahead in stages or made completely a day or two out, adding the basil at the last minute.
Simply Recipes / Robin Asbell
How I Make Ina’s Roasted Tomato Soup
Halve about three pounds of Roma tomatoes lengthwise, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place them cut-side down on a high-rimmed sheet pan. Then, let the oven (set to 400°F) do the work for about 45 minutes.
In the meantime, sauté onions, garlic, and a little crushed red pepper flakes with olive oil and butter. Add a can of plum tomatoes, thyme leaves, chicken stock (or water for vegetarians), and the roasted tomatoes—be careful not to spill the delectable juices they release.
Simmer for about 40 minutes, then carefully run the soup through a food mill. If you don’t have one, I recommend taking a minute to strip the skins from the roasted tomatoes with your fingers. They will be loose enough to slip right off, and then you can puree them in a food processor or blender. The soup should have some texture, so don’t make it too smooth.
Ina adds the basil leaves along with the tomatoes, but I add them later because they turn dark. Adding them in the last five minutes of cooking is plenty.
