Roasted Tomato Soup

Step 1

Set the oven to 425°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Rinse the tomatoes under cool running water, then pat them completely dry with a clean kitchen towel so the oil will stick during roasting.

Step 3

Cut each tomato lengthwise from the stem end downward into halves, creating two roughly equal pieces.

Step 4

Peel the outer papery skin from the onion, cut off the root end and the top, then cut the onion lengthwise from root to tip into quarters.

Step 5

Peel the papery skin from each garlic clove by placing it on the cutting board and pressing down gently with the flat side of a knife until the skin loosens, then pull the skin away.

Step 6

Place the tomato halves cut-side-up on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Step 7

Arrange the onion quarters and peeled garlic cloves on the same baking sheet among the tomatoes.

Step 8

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil evenly over all the tomatoes, onions, and garlic, then sprinkle salt and pepper over everything.

Step 9

Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and roast for 35 minutes until the tomato edges look charred and dark brown, and the flesh looks soft and collapsed.

Step 10

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes at room temperature so it is safe to handle.

Step 11

Transfer all the roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic from the baking sheet into a blender pitcher, scraping any browned bits from the sheet into the pitcher as well.

Step 12

Pour 2 cups of vegetable broth into the blender pitcher with the roasted vegetables.

Step 13

Place the blender lid on top, hold it firmly with your hand, then turn on the blender to high speed for 60 seconds until the soup is completely smooth with no visible chunks.

Step 14

Pour the blended soup through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium pot, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to extract all liquid and leave seeds and skin behind.

Step 15

Set the pot on the stove over medium-low heat and stir in 0.5 cup of heavy cream until the soup is uniform in color and looks smooth.

Step 16

Warm the soup for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until steam rises from the surface and you see small bubbles forming around the edge, but do not let it boil.

Step 17

Tear each fresh basil leaf by hand into 2 or 3 pieces, releasing the fragrant oils.

Step 18

Ladle the soup into four bowls, then scatter the torn basil pieces on top of each bowl in the center.