It’s too hot for soup… I know that!
But when you are right in the the middle of setting up your Kitchen & yet dinner has to be made… then there’s nothing easier! Especially this one, since most of the cooking takes place in the oven to begin with. So you can just stick the tomatoes & garlic in the oven for an hour & concentrate on the really important things like “Where do I stack up these stainless steel boxes that I’m never going to use!“
The inspiration for this soup is the Tomato Basil Sea Food Broth I always order at Pronto, a tiny little 3 table restaurant / take-away right next to the husband’s office. Often if we get done with work pretty late, or are too hungry to last the 2 hour drive home, or if it is raining, or sometimes for no reason other than quiet “us” time… we stop by for a crisp, thin crust, Pepperoni Pizza & Bruschetta with Olives & Tomatoes or our favorite Cheese Garlic Bread with Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar & Chilli Flakes to dip into & Caesar’s Salad to make the meal seem healthy or the beautiful, meaty Shepherd’s Pie with Creamy Mashed Potatoes. For a small Indian, Italian / Mexican take-away in Bombay Pronto is pretty good. The food may not be entirely authentic at times, but the ingredients are fresh, the flavours mingle beautifully & there is this comforting home-style quality to the food. And they play some great music too sometimes. We love going there!
So coming back to my soup. Another reason for picking this one was I had to go with Whatever’s In The Fridge. And I was lucky… I had everything I needed for a hearty Roasted Tomato & Garlic Soup… & more!
Roasted Ingredients
Roasted Tomatoes
- 6 Tomatoes (quartered)
- Fresh Basil (chopped)
- Black Olives (chopped)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chilli Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Olive Oil
Roasted Garlic
- 2 heads Garlic
- Olive Oil
- 2 squares Aluminium Foil
Method
- Arrange the quartered tomatoes in a well oiled baking tray.
- Sprinkle the basil, olives, salt, pepper, chilli flakes & sugar over it.
- Drizzle olive oil generously over the tomatoes.
- Cut the tops off the garlic heads & place them on the foil.
- Drizzle olive oil over it & wrap the foil around it carefully… not too tight yet covered well.
- Bake the tomatoes at a moderate heat, about 150 C for 1 hour & the garlic for half an hour or till soft & mushy.
- Keep aside.
Soup Ingredients
- 6 Roasted Tomatoes (chopped up & divided)
- 2 Roasted Garlic Heads (roasted flesh squeezed out of the skin)
- 4 Tomatoes (blanched & peeled)
- 5-6 Chicken Meatballs (finely chopped) {optional}
- Fresh Basil (finely chopped)
- 1 stick Celery (finely chopped)
- Black Olives (chopped)
- Vegetable Stock
- Olive Oil
- Salt
Note: The Chicken Meatballs are optional. I had a few, didn’t want them to go waste, so tossed them in! They do add to the flavor of the soup & make it more hearty & filling, but you would be fine if you omitted them all together as a Vegetarian option.
Method
- Heat some olive oil in a pot & toss in the chopped chicken meatballs (if using). Stir fry till the meat is brown.
- Meanwhile puree all the blanched & skinned tomatoes & half the roasted tomatoes. It doesn’t need to be super smooth. Keep aside.
- Add the remaining roasted tomatoes & the garlic to the chicken & saute till the flavours mingle.
- Pour in the pureed tomatoes & adjust the thickness by adding in the vegetable stock.
- Add the basil, celery, olives & season the soup.
- Leave it to boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I served this soup hot (though I suspect this may taste great chilled too!) with some fresh home-made Whole Wheat Yogurt & Sesame Bread
This recipe serves 6 people.
