I know, I know. I’m breaking my long silence with a recipe. But I frankly don’t have the energy to recount my entire life for the past month-ish right now, but this soup is awesome. So enjoy.
“Cream” is in quotes for good reason. Because there isn’t any. It just tastes decadent.
Ingredients:
6 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and halved
1 medium onion, quartered
3 Tbsp. olive oil
5 c. water (approximate)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. greek yogurt (low fat is fine)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste (optional)
salt and black pepper to taste
Do This:
Line a cookie sheet (preferably one with sides of 3/4″ or more) with aluminum foil. Place your vegetables cut sides down on the tray, and drizzle with the olive oil. Season liberally with the salt and pepper, and pop into a 300° oven. Roast for an hour or so, until the tomato skins go all wrinkly and there’s a bit of caramel color showing on the onions. Remove the tray from the oven, and let cool.
Using your fingers, peel the skins from the tomatoes. If they’re successfully roasted, this should be a snap. Tip the whole tray into a big soup pot (including all those lovely pan juices!) and cover with water. Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Let things cool a bit, then purée the lot with an immersion blender, food mill, or regular blender. If you, like me, use your normal blender, be sure to do it in small batches and leave a vent for heat. Trust me.
Once all the soup is processed, whisk it to even out the texture. Add the yogurt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and whisk until smooth. If you make this in the dead of winter, and your tomatoes aren’t quite their summer best, add the tomato paste and whisk through as well. Taste and correct seasoning.
Serve piping hot, with grilled cheese or a simple sandwich. If you prefer to go full vegan, substitute the yogurt with about 1/5 of a brick of silken tofu or a scant 1/4 cup of white rice cooked very soft, and toss it in during the blending step.