Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup with Pesto Shrimp

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh herbs. Toss lightly to combine and pour onto a baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the sprigs of fresh herbs. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, prepare pesto. In a food processor (I use a Ninja), put spinach, almonds, sharp cheddar, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Pulse until you get the desired consistency.

In a large bowl toss raw shrimp with 2 heaping tablespoons of pesto. Put shrimp on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 8 minutes. Be careful not to overcook your shrimp or you will end up with rubber! Set aside.

In a large pot, add roasted vegetables and vegetable broth. Bring to a gentle boil for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and use an immersion blender (or you could put everything in a blender) to puree soup to desired consistency. Add milk or cream and bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil) for another 5 minutes.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Add some shrimp (I did about 6 per bowl) and top with a spoonful of pesto.

Note: I love pesto and I always use the same technique and formula. Again, do as you wish and use what you have: basil, arugula, kale; pine nuts, almonds, walnuts; Parmesan, Swiss, Romano, etc.