Tomato Basil Soup

Here is the recipe!! This recipe makes a TON of soup. This soup is excellent as a soup, or if you boil it down and add in some extra thyme and oregano it will make the most amazing marinara or pasta sauce!

Cut the ingredients in half if you don't intend to freeze or can this recipe, or if you don't think you can eat all of this soup up!

Ingredients and supplies
6 pounds equally sized tomatoes
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Mrs. Dash table Blend
3 cups chopped walla walla sweet onion
1/2 cup Chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup dried basil
6 table spoons of Minced garlic
1 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (This can be omitted if you do not like spicy foods(
2 table spoons fresh thyme
2 table spoons fresh oregano
4-14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
Pam Spray
2 Large baking dishes
2% milk (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the green stems out of the tomatoes and slice them in half. Spray the baking dishes with Pam. Lay the cut tomatoes in an even layer in the baking dishes. Drizzle some olive oil over all of the tomatoes. (I try to only use about ¼ cup all together of olive oil). Toss the tomatoes in the oil. Sprinkle them liberally with salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash table blend. Roast these in the oven for 30-40 minutes. They will be done when they are very wrinkly on top and well cooked.

While the tomatoes are roasting preheat a HUGE soup pan with 2 Table spoons of olive oil. Toss in the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Cook the mixture until the onions are browned and caramelized. Add in the canned tomatoes, HALF of the chicken stock, the oregano, thyme and basil. Turn the heat way down on the soup pot and just let it gently cook until the tomatoes are done.

Once the tomatoes are done, VERY CAREFULLY remove them from the oven and pour them (juice and all) into your soup pot. Stir it to combine. Bring it to a boil and cook it uncovered for 30-40 minutes. (Until it is at the thickness you like it). Using an immersion blender, or a normal blender, blend the soup until it is the consistency you like. For example, either leave it the way it is, it will be very chunky, or blend it until it is completely pureed.

Now you can decide if you want cream of tomato basil soup, or plain tomato basil soup!

To make Crème of Tomato Basil Soup slowly drizzle in the 2% milk until the soup is at the creaminess you wish. (Typically this takes 4-5 cups of milk) Cook the soup for about another 10-15 minutes after you add the milk. Be sure that you stay at the stove with the soup, as once you add the milk, the soup can burn very easily.

Without the milk, the soup feeds 16 people and has 120 calories per Bowl (1 bowl = 2 cups)