Roasted Fennel and Heirloom Tomato Soup

It’s Fall and also October as far as the calendar goes, but it could not be further from cool and scarf-worthy here.  That will not keep me from enticing it with spices my kitchen and soup on my stove.  I made this recipe from good-looking seasonal veggies from my fridge and tons of garlic.   It was perfect for a quiet Sunday evening at home after a long week.  It was good for the soul.  Check out the playlist at the bottom of the page for this recipe :)  I’ll try to add that when I think of it.

I love my Grandma’s dishes with this soup.  I think she would have liked this soup, too.

Go out and find yourself some great looking tomatoes…organic heirloom if you can.  The reason I get that specific kind is not because it sounds cool…even though it kinda does.  The heirloom varieties are grown from seeds that are from an old variety of tomato plant which hasn’t been altered by cross-pollination or hybridization.  Basically, the person who saved the seeds for future plants saved them in a way (involves covering the tomato blossoms to prevent cross-pollination) where they were not changed.  They are pure, which I love.

Toss the tomatoes with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, to taste.

Do the same to the fennel, onions, and garlic.  Roast them both in the oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until browned.

While you’re cleaning, beware of battle-scenes.  You never know when they might happen.

After they are finished roasting, pour both pans of food in the blender and puree.  I poured about a cup of vegetable stock in to thin it a bit.  That’s it.  I didn’t even have to season with extra salt and pepper or add any herbs.  When the vegetables roast, they create their own rich flavor from the slight caramelization.  The cool thing is that you won’t have to add any cream. making this a vegan dish if you leave out the creme fraiche.  Maybe that’s not cool to you, but I have some friends who will think it’s cool.  Plus, I think it’s cool.

Roasted Fennel and Heirloom Tomato Soup

5 pounds of tomatoes, chopped in large chunks

4 large pieces of fennel, sliced

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 red onions, chopped in large chunks

10 cloves of garlic, halved

Salt and pepper

olive oil

1 c. vegetable stock

chives, for garnish

Creme fraiche or sour cream, optional

I guess it was nice to enjoy it on the patio with a tank and flip-flops, instead of inside with no fresh air.  Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy it!

New!  Just added these playlists so you can rock out to it too…if you feel like it.

Matthew West Pandora Station