homemade soup :: roasted tomato and garlic

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Sticky, sweet, and slyly pungent, roasted garlic will turn you on your head, and combining it with its true love, the roasted tomato, is even better.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 lb tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 8 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

PREPARATION

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.

2. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic 1 hour, then cool in pan on a rack. Peel garlic.

3. Cook onion, oregano, and sugar in butter in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

4. Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a sieve into cleaned pot, discarding solids. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 2 minutes.  Serves 6-8.