Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 onion)
2 medium leeks
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer skin side down on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to an hour until the tomatoes shrivel, the edges start to turn brown and most of the liquid around the tomatoes has caramelized.
Trim off roots and dark green portion of the leeks. Cut them in half lengthwise and rinse thoroughly under running water. Chop fine. In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions, leeks and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue to heat for 5 more minutes, until the onions start to brown. Tear the basil and add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including any liquid left on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Take off of heat and VERY carefully use an immersion blender to puree the soup to your desired consistency. If you don’t have one, no worries! Allow it to cool a little and add to blender and process until you reach your desired consistency. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LALASTRIVE.