roasted tomato soup (a non-recipe)

I think I first made this at a job I had years ago, it might have been from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook they had laying around.  At any rate, it needs no recipe.   Every season I try to make more of this for the freezer, but the nature of the recipe is that you don't make it until the very end, the dregs of the veggies, so I always worry we won't have enough, until suddenly we do! 

Roast a sheet pan or two of tomatoes.  And a pan or two of miscellaneous veggies.  Use your favorite method for toms, I like to roast then puree/strain mine (a la henbogle's version).  For the veggies, I try to get them roughly the same size, and toss them with olive oil and salt/pepper before spreading them out.  No rules here--except that garlic and leeks or onions are probably important.  Carrots are great for sweetness, and this time I added a couple of potatoes for creaminess.  I roast until they look caramelized and lovely.  It doesn't even matter if they are slightly underdone as they'll finish up in the soup later.

this batch has carrots, garlic, peppers, zucchini, onions, and potato

Dump the tomatoes and vegetables into a large pot, and add stock.  In this case, for three pans (2 tomato, one veggie) I used a quart of stock. (Since I am freezing this, I'm going for a condensed version and want it pretty thick, but you can always add more later).  If there are yummy looking bits left in your roasting pans, use some broth to dissolve it and add to the pot as well.  I add some chopped celery and parsley at this point too.  Simmer for a half hour or more until everything is soft, then puree with an immersion blender.


I freeze this in fairly small containers (2-3 cups) for two people.  When reheating I add milk or cream, which makes it grow a bit.   Also the smaller portions thaw pretty fast, even for an last-minute weeknight dinner.  Perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold winter night!