As the tomato season is wrapping up, I am receiving the final harvest from the cooperative and buying them in bulk for cheap at the market.  These tomatoes are mostly only good for soups and sauces.  So I delved into my favorite soup cookbook to see if there was something I could use for this surplus and lo and behold, I found this delicious roasted tomato soup.  I put my spin on it by serving it like you would serve french onion soup.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Adapted from Sunday Soup by Betty Rosbottom

3 Pounds of Plum or Roma Tomatoes (about 18 medium-sized)

2 1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

1 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt

3/4 Tsp Crushed Dried Rosemary

3 Large Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 Cup Olive oil

3 1/2 Cups of Vegetable Stock

2 Tbs Fresh Chopped Basil or Parsley

2 Cups of french bread cut into cubes

1 Cup of Emmental, Gruyère or Swiss

1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the core and seeds; lay them upside down on a tray to drain
3. In a large bowl, combine the pepper, salt and rosemary; then add the oil and garlic and whisk together
4. Toss the tomatoes into the oil mixture and coat them well; then place them in a deep baking tray or Pyrex dish face up; pour the remaining oil over the tomatoes
5. Bake them for 50 to 60 minutes until softened or brown
6. Remove from oven and place half of them into the blender (or in a 3 qt sauce pot if using a hand blender); place the other half on a cutting board and coarsely chop them
7. Add 1 cup of the vegetable stock to the sauce pot and blend the tomatoes until puréed; then add the chopped pieces and the rest of the broth; cook over medium heat
8. Turn the oven to broil
9. Pour the remaining oil from the tomatoes into a skillet on medium high heat (be careful as it may spatter from the tomato juice); toss the bread in the pan and cook, stirring until light golden brown and set aside
10. Ladle soup into oven proof bowls an inch or so from the top; sprinkle the chopped basil on top; then place the croutons on top and add a large handful of cheese
11. Place them under the broiler and cook until golden brown…Voila!

Bon Appétit!