Tomato And Basil Soup

This soup is very good but takes a very long time to make. It is the only tomato soup that my sister and I like! I made it for her birthday party and everybody loved it! You can make this chunky or smoothe like I did. (I put mine through the blender to make it very smoothe.) This is a soup that even people who hate tomato soup will love!

Ingredients:

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (approx. 2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
28 oz. canned plum tomatoes with their juices – I used died tomatoes
4 cups of fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock (or water)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt +pepper.
Spread the tomatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes.
In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, butter (optional), and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes or until the onions begin to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Then add the oven roasted tomatoes and include any of the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and then simmer (uncovered) for 40 minutes. Use a blender to make it how chunky or smoothe you would like it.
Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!