Let’s talk about tomato soup.

If done right, tomato soup tastes fresh, balanced, earthy, and a bit like running through a garden of tomato vines in the heat of summer when the plants give off the ripest, sweetest smell and tomatoes are tasty enough to eat straight from the garden.

If done wrong, tomato soup tastes like a can.

…And no one likes the taste of a can; am I right?

This Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato soup tastes amazing (and completely un-can-like). It’s like sticking your face into rows and rows of climbing tomato vines hanging heavy with ripe, fat tomatoes while frolicking among fresh basil, rosemary, and bell pepper plants on a summer’s day. Although it is obviously no longer a summer’s day, I’m lucky to still have access to wonderfully ripe and fragrant tomatoes here in Arizona. When I was having immense cravings for tomatoes the other day, I bought a bunch and decided to roast them up in the oven along with some garlic, onion, red bell peppers, and some sprigs of fresh rosemary and then pulverize the bits out of them to turn them into creamy soup.

The result was the best smelling kitchen ever and summer’s day worthy tomato soup, balanced out with the perfect amount of veggies and fresh and bright herbs. I topped my big bowl of soup with a bit of fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and went to town dunking and dipping away with a piece of hearty bread.

This tomato soup is ideal on these cold nights when you want to be reminded of sweet summer, even if your backyard is covered in snow and ice. Even better, with 10 simple whole foods ingredients, this soup is a breeze to whip up and oh so good for you too. Like, way better than aforementioned can soup complete with mystery ingredients to boot.

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup and the most miniscule reminder of summer… What could be better?

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Serves 4

10 medium sized vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
4 cloves of garlic
2 red bell peppers, seeds removed and quartered
¼ teaspoon thyme
A few sprigs of rosemary
Sea salt & ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
A handful of fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Drizzle a baking tray with olive oil and top with the veggies, onion, garlic, and sprigs of rosemary. Sprinkle with thyme, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper and shake to coat.

Roast veggies for 45-50 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Another great indication of their doneness – your kitchen will smell like Italy…or at least, a delicious Italian kitchen.

If you have a high-speed blender, place roasted veggies and the remainder of the ingredients into the base. Blend on high until the soup is thick, creamy, and steaming hot – about 3 minutes or so.

If you do not have a high-speed blender, put the roasted veggies and the remainder of the ingredients into a pot on the stove over medium heat. Use an immersion-blender to puree the soup to your desired consistency. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until soup is warmed.

Serve soup warm & enjoy! Top with fresh basil or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Or use as the perfect dunking vessel for hearty bread (I heart sourdough) or one of those infamous cheese sandwiches.