Roasted Tomato Soup

I am conventional in many of my tastes. My most favorite dishes are the simple classics. If asked for a choice of ice-cream flavor in a store that holds the most exotic combinations, I will be the exasperating one that will ask for plain old vanilla with minimal additions. Similarly, when it comes to soups, the classic tomato soup is my dear favorite. So, when I read this awesome recipe on Tuesday, I could think of nothing but make this one the very evening with our home-grown tomatoes that are now ripening in galore.

I followed the above beautifully written (and presented) recipe with little modifications. The basic procedure is to roast the tomatoes and some garlic cloves coated in olive oil, salt, and pepper, at 400 F for 1 hour. Cool, and blend this. Heat and simmer in a pot along with some water, herbs, and additional seasonings of your choice. Ladle into bowls/mugs, add some grated onion, place a slice of toasted bread on top, cover the entire (or parts) of the top with cheese, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. The modifications I made:

I added rosemary instead of thyme

I added a teaspoon of turmeric, for old habits die hard

I added plain water instead of vegetable stock, because I didn't have any on hand.

I added only 2 cups of water, as opposed to the 4 cups prescribed

I didn't add any red-pepper flakes 

I added a tiny portion of milk - but it didn't add anything to the taste and perhaps diluted the taste of tomatoes a wee bit. So please skip.

I used pepper-jack cheese slices and a "small" sprinkling of cheddar

I used oven-proof bowls instead of mugs (which explains the need for just a lil' more cheese)

The result was a sumptuous meal. I loved the toasted bread and cheese incorporated within the soup. Ingenious! The aroma of roasted tomatoes is indeed heavenly! It works up your appetite instantly.

Thank you, Deb!