Creamy Tomato Soup

I adapted this recipe from Tyler Florence's amazing cookbook, Stirring the Pot. This recipe can also be found on the Food Network, click here for original recipe.

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes, any kind

1 large onion, sliced

5 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 tbsp of olive oil

salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

2 cups of chicken stock

1 heaping tbsp of butter

handful of fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnishing

1 cup of light cream (5 % MF)

garlic croutons for garnishing

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450F. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the insides. Place the tomatoes, sliced onion and whole garlic cloves in a roasting pan. Drizzle over the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

Step 2: Place all the contents of the pan into a sauce pot and add the bay leaf, chicken stock and butter. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the soup to cook for another 25 minutes.

Step 3: Give the basil a rough chop and add to the pot. Puree the soup with either an immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender. Pureeing the soup in batches is a must! Can't add it all at once.

Step 4: Return the pureed soup to the pot and add the cream. Let the soup cook for a few minutes, allowing the cream to cook into the soup.

Step 5: Garnish the soup with garlic croutons and a little bit of chopped basil.