Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Roasted tomato & carrot soup

Every summer I eat so many tomatoes, that I don't want to look at another one by the time they're out of season. But as winter sinks in, I start to crave them and would give anything for a luscious summer tomato.

I decided to forgo canned tomatoes and purchased some organic roma tomatoes from Whole Foods instead. I love the flavor of roasted tomatoes (or any vegetable really), so I decided to roast them off with a few carrots for a rich color and sweet flavor. Similar to this soup, but with tomatoes as the main ingredient and a different flavor profile.
You're probably thinking wow, she makes a lot of soup. And that's true, especially this time of year. I'm  always cold, and drinking a nourishing cup of soup warms me up. Plus soup is a great way to sneak more vegetables into your (or loved ones) diet.

Roasted tomato and carrot soup
1 lb. roma tomatoes, sliced in half
2 medium carrots, cut into half-inch coins
3 T olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, small dice (.25 in)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp fennel, ground
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
5-6 cups vegetable stock or water
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Fill large baking sheet (or two smaller ones) with tomatoes and carrots. Drizzle the veggies with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a pan and saute the onion. Add the garlic and herbs, stirring, until fragrant. Add vegetable stock and the roasted vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the vinegar. Use an immersion blender or regular blender (be careful: hot liquids) and blend until smooth. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

And what goes better with soup than tasty croutons? I made Mark Bittman's flatbread recipe. I used chickpea/fava flour and flavored it with cumin and rosemary. These croutons are free of dairy and gluten. I toasted a piece, cut it into squares and garnished my soup with it. You could also toast a slice of flatbread and add a sprinkle of parmesan to enjoy alongside your soup.

Since I was in NYC last weekend, I didn't make the Food Matters Project weekly recipe. So check out Kate's recipe for seasoned popcorn!

12 comments:

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

every single ingredient on that recipe is in my pantry or refrigerator...rest assured I will be serving this at home soon! :)

erin said...

I feel like this is a nice change from starting at sweets recently. Absolutely beautiful and I always love a good tomato soup!

Unknown said...

Healthy and lovely... Simple stuff is always the best.

Jana said...

for exactly the same reason I do love soups too:-) your bread looks simply gorgeous!

do you think the taste is not that good if I use tomatoes from a box? of course one can not roast them then...do u remove the skin after roasting them btw?

thanks for this lovely idea!

Unknown said...

Hi Jana. Not roasting the tomatoes will change the flavor, but adding in the roasted carrots will help with that. I don't remove the skins. I prefer a chunky tomato soup, but if you prefer smooth, just strain through a sieve or food mill.

Sarah B said...

YUM! Chickpea croutons? Brilliant, girl ;)

xo, Sarah B

Miss Multicul(t)inaria said...

That looks sooo delicious!

Kasey said...

It's funny, because I eat so seasonally, but I kinda don't think tomatoes really have a season. I love making tomato sauces and soups from canned tomatoes (my favorite is San Marzano) in the wintertime. In the summer, I opt for eating beautiful, rainbow-colored heirlooms and in a way, this makes the tomato the vegetable I never tire of, regardless of time of year.

kelsey said...

love a good tomato soup, but the chickpea croutons are even better! love this idea. will definitely give that a whirl sometime soon.

Anonymous said...
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Mike said...

I eat a lot more tomatoes in summer time too. I think it's because I grow them in my garden and they are cheap to buy in summer time. I love tomatoes. My friend tells me he didn't like tomatoes. How can you not like tomatoes?

Anonymous said...

I made this today! It was delicious. Though I didn't have an onion on hand, so I just added another clove of garlic, a TON of basil!!, and Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb seasoning. It came out great!