Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

This is an easy soup that has lots of flavor and really lets the ingredients shine.  That being said, use good quality, fresh produce- it makes all the difference!  If you are short on time, you can roast the veggies ahead of time and blend it later.  The photo shows the soup topped with my attempt at a basil foam, but usually I just top it with basil ribbons.

Ingredients

2 lbs tomatoes, cut into quarters

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 large onion, cut in large cubes

2 red peppers, seeds removed and cut into quarters

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup water

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

1/4 cup basil, chopped into ribbons

Directions

1. Toss the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and red peppers with olive oil.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

2.  Bake everything at 425 F till the edges of the peppers brown (25-30 mins).

3.  Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and into a large saucepan.  Add the roasted tomatoes, onions, peppers, water, and paprika to  the saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  Blend with the heavy cream, adding additional salt and pepper as needed.

5.  Top with basil and serve.