Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Preheat oven to 400F.

Slice the fresh (not canned) tomatoes in half, throw into a large zip-top bag. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper. Shake to cover them with the oil. Spread mixture onto a large baking sheet, making sure tomatoes are cut side up. Roast for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, add the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and the butter to a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Saute onions over medium heat until tender. Once they are tender, remove from the heat until the roasted veggies are ready.

Add roasted tomatoes and garlic (including all of the juices) to the pot. Add broth, basil, bouillon, thyme and the canned tomatoes.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until there are no large chunks of garlic or basil. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Check seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, or sugar as necessary.

Serve garnished with your favorite Italian cheese!

Enjoy!