What could be more perfect for an end of the summer meal? I found myself needing to use up my bounty of tomatoes and basil, so I made my annual end of summer soup. I like to roast the vegetables first, which adds a wonderful dimension of flavor.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Makes 8 servings

10 -12 tomatoes, sliced in half
1 red bell pepper cut into chunks
1 quart chicken stock, homemade preferable but you can use a low sodium pre-made stock
1 sweet yellow onion
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
15 fresh basil leaves (washed)

1. To roast your tomatoes: Place them on a baking sheet, and sprinkle on some sea or kosher salt, roast at 425 for about 10-15 minutes, remove and place into your soup pot (get all the juice on the sheet pan).

2. Next roast your onions and red bell pepper, place on the same sheet pan, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, mix well and roast for about 15 minutes, remove and add to your soup pot.

3. Add your stock, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Add your whole basil leaves and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

4. Use your stick blender to emulsify your soup, or alternately you can run it through your food processor, it should be a smooth and creamy consistency.

5. Right before serving, I add about 1/4 cup of whipping cream or whole milk.