This recipe was provided by one of my best friends here in Korea and who keeps me on my toes by editing my spelling, run-on sentences etc! I’m hoping next time she shares one of her absolutely amazing desserts! Thank you, Becky, for being an amazing friend, editor and, most of all, sharing this recipe and feeding me! It was delicious.  – Maggie @ Spoon in a Saucepan

I am honored to be a guest blogger on Spoon in a Saucepan. – Becky

If one thing is for sure, I wouldn’t consider myself a cook. A baker, yes (I can whip up some mean cakes and cookies), but not a cook. I often listen with envy as Maggie and other friends describe a delicious and simple meal they have just whipped up with ingredients they had on hand, and “Oh it was super healthy too,” they say. To me, simple means spaghetti with sauce out of a jar, and when I look at the carrot, onion, and green pepper in my fridge I see a carrot, an onion, and a green pepper; NOT a delicious salad or quiche that another person would think to “throw together” (as good cooks say). I always jump at the chance to try anything Maggie offers me from her kitchen because I know 1. It has been made with very capable hands and 2. It will most definitely be delicious. However, I am learning through the help of friends, experimenting, and reading helpful cooking blogs like this one to become a better cook. So, when I somehow created this creamy comforting soup and invited Maggie over to try it, I was on the edge of my seat to see how she liked it, and she did! In fact, she liked it enough to invite me to write a guest post on her blog, and I am honored to share the below recipe with you,

When I created this recipe I was craving some good hearty tomato soup with grilled cheese. I wanted to go back to the Campbell’s tomato-soup-in-a-can days when the weather was cold and a warm soup settling in your belly was just the thing to warm you all the way to your toes. Since Campbell’s canned soup is a rarity one would be lucky to find anywhere but Seoul here in Korea, I decided I would try my hand at making my own. This recipe was a combination of two tomato soup recipes I found here and here  with some of my own additions. I love the taste of roasted tomatoes and also wanted a thick hearty soup that wouldn’t leave me hungry right before bedtime. I didn’t peel the tomato skins, but just blended everything right in there. The thicker the soup, the better.

Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup

adapted from Chow and Food Network

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 7-8 tomatoes, halved
• 8 cloves garlic, divided 4 and 4
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 carrot, thinly chopped
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 cup chicken stock (vegetable for vegetarians and vegans)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C.
2. Lay the tomatoes cut-side up on a baking tray along with 4 garlic cloves
3. Drizzle tomatoes and garlic with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Bake for 1 hour (or 10 minutes longer to really get the roasted flavor) at 200°C
5. Meanwhile heat a pan on medium-high heat, and add 1 tbsp. olive oil
6. When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrot and saute until the carrots are softening (about 10 minutes depending on how thinly you cut the carrots—the smaller the size, the faster the carrots will soften).
7. When carrots have softened a bit, mince the other 4 garlic cloves and add to the mix. Saute for about 3-4 more minutes.
8. Next add the chili flakes, basil, and soy milk. Allow soy milk to boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
9. Next add the chicken stock and keep heat on low so it’s hot when the tomatoes are finished baking.
10. When the tomatoes are done, combine the tomatoes and garlic with the carrot mixture and blend until smooth.
11. Mix once more for uniformity and re-heat again if you desire.
12. Serve with grilled cheese or toasted bread.

Tips:

Make it your own:  Change the soy milk to cream or almond milk. This will change the flavor quite a bit so experiment with what you like. You can also try it without the carrot and adjust the amount of garlic per taste preference.

A Thinner Soup: For a thinner soup blend the tomatoes separately and strain the juice with a wire strainer. You can also leave out the carrot and substitute stock for the soy milk.

Small Blender: Blend in batches and mix thoroughly before serving.