^{A classic soup for a cold day just got a makeover. Your inner child will die for this dynamic duo! Serve with Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese!}

Whether you’re an adult or child, cold or warm, sick or healthy – comfort foods such as grilled cheese and tomato soup seem to warm the soul.

This was quite the season for soups if I must say so myself. With the pandemic being (hopefully) a thing of the past we are now just looking at cold seasons as cold seasons…not necessarily “sick” seasons. In fact, I don’t think I get a“sick”season because I’ve been lucky thus far…until New Years of 2022 into 2023. Although ringing in the new year with a shot of Nyquil was nothing short of pathetic, soup was the center of my universe for over a week.

Not only soup, the combo of soup and an ooey-gooey, cheesy, toasted sandwich just hit the spot. Even though I had limited will to cook, this soup just makes life so much easier because it’s a sheet to pot masterpiece and super comforting all winter long.

Growing up, we stocked up on canned condensed soups for a quick and simple lunch. I can assure you I was not a fan of chicken noodle or cream of anything soups. Oddly enough, I really did enjoy tomato soup. The older I got I questioned why I liked it. I think I also never really watched it go from a can to a bowl – and that’s a blessing.

It’s hard to put my finger on what was comforting about tomato soup back then but I knew making it now and making it fresh couldn’t be that hard. At least this time I could determine what flavors I loved now AND I could enjoy the process of making this from beginning to end. Also, for the veggie queen here, any opportunity to balance out the flavors and bring in some extra nutrients gave me even more of a reason to whip up this soup for the cold seasons.

This takes a little more time than opening a can and adding it to a bowl – but it’s so worth it! In fact, if you’re like my mom and you’ve never been the biggest fan of tomato soup, this process can allow you to make it how you want. And that is exactly what I did. Plus, the herbs from the pesto, roasted garlic, and abundance of fresh vegetables and that final dash of cream just make this a luxurious staple while cozied up under some blankets on a dreary day.

Find a way to elevate your tomato soup. This is the perfect start and you’ll never want to eat canned again. It’s that easy and your inner child will thank you.

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Pesto & Roasted Vegetable Tomato Soup

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A classic soup for a cold day just got a makeover. Your inner child will die for this dynamic duo! Serve with Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese!

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:1

Total Time:1 20

Ingredients

2 bulbs see recipe for Roasted Garlic
2-4 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
2 pounds tomatoes (Roma and/or Campari) halved or quartered
12 ounces butternut squash or zucchini chopped
1 pint grape/cherry tomatoes
1 small bell pepper seeded, rough chop
1 jalapeno pepper seeded, halved
¼ cup pesto
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried basil
2-4 cups vegetable stock
¼ cup fat free or low fat heavy cream
¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°.
*Prepare roasted garlic according to recipe in Side of Veggies.
Line 2 baking sheets with foil and drizzle with oil. Cut tomatoes, onions and peppers and add to one baking sheet. Top with pesto. Toss the vegetables on the baking sheet in the pesto to slightly coat. Add oregano, pepper flakes, garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper.
On the second sheet add oil, cherry tomatoes and butternut or zucchini squash and season with more oregano, pepper flakes, garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper if necessary.
Roast for 25-30 minutes. Remove baking sheets and combine all oven ingredients in large pot or dutch oven (including roasted garlic). *Reserve some of the the cherry/grape tomatoes for later garnish.
Add vegetable stock. Start with 2 cups and then add more to thin out the consistency if needed. By using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.
On medium-low heat, heat in a dutch oven or large pot for about 20-30 minutes. Add cream and stir in completely.
For a sweeter soup, add a drizzle of honey if desired. Garnish with parmesan cheese, *roasted cherry/grape tomatoes and fresh basil.

Notes

Ingredients & Technique:

Roasting is the way to go. It creates soft, yet crispy, pieces of tomatoes and zucchini that blend perfectly in a soup. Plus, that heavenly kitchen smell of roasting anything is worth it.

The best secret to boosting flavor was adding pesto along with drizzled olive oil! This can easily be replaced but it was really satisfying knowing a pantry stable was the roasting oil AND flavor all in one. It’s a simple solution.

An immersion blender was also a better choice for me because it was easier to puree the vegetables vs. a standing blender. But either method will work – you just want to make sure the end product is creamy and frothy and that requires a little more blending than usual.

How long does it last and where?

This lasts in the fridge for about 5-7 days.

Can you freeze it?

Yes – but if you are going to add dairy to it such as a cream or a shredded cheese, wait until you reheat so that it doesn’t separate in the cooling/heating process.

Substitutions?

I think it’s fair to play with the ratios of vegetables in this recipe. Just be mindful of the amount of stock you add and those ratios. If you want more onions, peppers and zucchini than tomatoes – it’s your soup! It can’t be bad!

If you want to add greek yogurt at the end instead of cream or cheese – this also works well. It kinda takes the place of both cream and cheese if you ask me.

If you don’t want to use pesto or just simply don’t have it, use extra virgin olive oil to drizzle before roasting and season with basil, oregano, salt, pepper and even parmesan cheese.

What to serve with it?

Grilled cheese, of course! Check our my recipe for Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese!