Roasted Tomato Soup

The other day, my friend and I went "midnight tomato-picking" in his grandpa's garden. I got a huge sack of delicious tender tomatoes. I wasn't quite sure what to do with these, so I made Roasted Tomato Soup...and it was divine. Try this, you'll love it!

Roasted Tomato Soup

12 large (about 4 pounds) tomatoes, stemmed and quartered

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

6-8 garlic cloves, peeled

salt

pepper

1 cup chopped onions

2 cups chopped fresh basil, or 1-2 tablespoon dried basil

2 cups cold water, or veggie broth

+ additional balsamic vinegar, salt/pepper, a bay leaf, and a touch of cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Place the tomatoes and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper, to taste. Mix with hands, and spread out mixture evenly. Roast the tomatoes in the oven until dark spots appear, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in a bit of olive oil. Cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the basil leaves and saute with the onions for about 1 minute. Add the roasted tomato mixture to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and throw in a bay leaf & some cinnamon. (I highly recommend adding in more balsamic vinegar for additional flavor.) Puree the tomato mixture in a blender, until very smooth. If serving right away, pour the soup back into the saucepan and bring it to a slow simmer over medium heat. If saving for later, simply store it in the refrigerator. Enjoy!