topped with grilled 'cheese' croutons
Happy Tuesday, y'all! The weather is changing, and all I've been craving is soup on soup, on soup. But for real- is there anything better than a hot mug of soup when the chilly times are among us?!
So, not sure if anyone can relate, but until now, I've had NO luck on making a successful pot of tomato soup. And sometimes the best and most simple dinner is a piping bowl of tomato soup with a melty, gooey [vegan] grilled cheese sandwich. Sadly, this isn't a typical vegan combo you can find at most restaurants, and in order to have what I'm craving, I had to figure out a way to make it at home. Buuuut.. *drumroll please*... better!
After some research, a ton of trial + error, this Roasted Tomato soup came to life! Yeeeeeeeh! And it ain't one of those tomato soups that involved a tin can of diced tomatoes of some sort. Or an entire can of tomato paste. Ehh. This is totally from scratch (!!), loaded with flav-ahs, and a nice kick of spice. Ooooooh that nutmeg tho.
AND Don't be discouraged by the whole roasting aspect! I'm normally one to avoid any recipe that calls for the use my oven (since living in a small apartment means storage galore in every space you can find), but in the time you're roasting, you're prepping and cooking the balance of the soup. It's quick and painless (and worth it). Enjoy! Xx Sam
[ps.. those cheese-less croutons are a MUST :) ]
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 3 lbs of tomatoes (approx. 7-8 small tomatoes)
- 1 leek, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- Fresh bunch of basil, chopped (approx. 1/4 cup packed)
- 4 cups of veg broth
- 1 tsp of each: red pepper flakes, nutmeg, cane sugar*
- Salt & Pepper, to taste!
PREP: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Dice your tomatoes into quarters & leeks and place on a large sheet pan with silpat/parchment paper down. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil plus some salt + pepper, and toss with your hands so all coated evenly. Once your oven is heated, pop in the oven for 30 minutes to roast. Dice the onion & garlic separately.
COOK: In a large pot over medium heat, add a gulp of olive oil. Once hot, toss in the onion and garlic- cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Once translucent, add in the red pepper & nutmeg, plus a pinch of salt + pepper! Cook for just a minute until fragrant and smelling YUM. Pour in the broth and sugar, and increase heat to high. Once boiling, reduce to medium low to cook/simmer for 5 minutes. At this point, your tomatoes should be juuuust about done!
SOUP!: Once your tomatoes and leeks are roasted, add to your pot of soup (with any of the juices left behind on the pan) along with the fresh basil. Stir well and continue to simmer uncovered on medium low for about 15-20 minutes- the smellllllls. After simmering, kill the heat & blend with an immersion hand blender until completely smooooth. Alternatively, work in batches in the blender. Serve & devour. MMMMM!
*Notes: This soup does have a kick of spice, so if you don't enjoy a slightly spicy soup, reduce the red pepper! I made my croutons by melting down a vegan cheese, smearing between two slices of bread, and frying it up on the stove top with some vegan butter until golden and melty. Dice up into little squares! This recipe was adapted from Fork In The Road. :)