Roasted Tomato Soup and Tomatillo Salsa

Roasted tomatoes, and their cousins, green tomatillos, prove a handy staple for turning out quick soups, sauces, and salsas. Roasted tomatillos, whirled in the blender with green chile and cilantro, make a tangy salsa to serve with chips. Try a dollop of the salsa over the tomato soup – it’ll add spice and tanginess.

Tips:

• Roasted tomatoes and tomatillos can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for use months later, to recall the bounty of the summer season.
• For a bold-flavored cold or hot fresh tomato soup, season ripe, red tomatoes with salt, pepper, thyme, and a little smoked paprika before roasting.
• Be sure to line the baking sheet with foil to capture all of the flavorful juices to add to the soup.
• Make a vegetarian soup by using vegetable stock or tomato juice.
• On hot summer days, chill the Roasted Tomato Soup for up to several days.
• To serve, add bits of fresh mozzarella and sliced basil leaves for a soup reminiscent of our favorite Caprese salad. It’s certainly just as refreshing.

Fresh Roasted Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic and Tomatillo Salsa

Makes 4 servings

Note: Serve Roasted Tomato Soup hot or cold. If serving the soup cold, you can replace the broth with unseasoned tomato juice, such as Pomi or Red Gold brands, for even more tomato goodness.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon each: freshly ground black pepper, dried thyme leaves, smoked paprika
• 6 large ripe, red round tomatoes (total 3 pounds), stemmed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic in skin
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups (32 ounces) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

To serve:

• 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, optional
• 1 cup small dice fresh mozzarella cheese, about 5 ounces
• Tomatillo salsa, see recipe below
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves or chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees on convection or 425 degrees on conventional setting. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Mix salt, pepper, thyme and paprika in a small dish.
2. Cut tomatoes crosswise in half and place cut side up on the baking sheet. Drizzle tomatoes evenly with oil, then sprinkle with salt mixture to season. Add garlic cloves to the pan.
3. Roast on the top rack until tomatoes are nicely golden and garlic is soft, about 40 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Peel garlic and add to a blender jar along with the tomato paste. Add 1/2 of tomatoes and all of the pan juices to the blender. Add half of the broth. Cover the blender loosely with the lid and then a kitchen towel. Blend until absolutely smooth. Transfer to a saucepan if serving soup warm or a container if serving soup cold. Repeat to blend remaining tomatoes with remaining broth.
5. To serve Roasted Tomato Soup hot, gently heat it in the saucepan. To serve the soup cold, chill it well for up to several days. Stir in cream if desired. Serve topped with cheese, dollops of the salsa and the basil leaves.

Green Tomatillo Salsa

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 8 medium-sized tomatillos (1 pound), husked
• 1 small hot green chile, stemmed, seeded, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons agave syrup or light-tasting honey
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler. Line a small metal baking pan with foil. Add tomatillos to the pan. Broil, 6 inches from heat source, turning tomatillos once or twice, until golden brown and soft, 10 to 20 minutes.
2. Put tomatillos and any accumulated juices into a blender. Add green chile and process with on/off turns into a rough puree. Add cilantro, agave and salt and process just to mix. Transfer to a bowl and stir in onion or chives. Use it to top the Roasted Tomato Soup if desired. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate covered up to several days.

© 2022 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.

© 2022 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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