Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup

Heat the oven to 400F. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze gently to remove the seeds, scraping them out with your fingers if necessary. Coat the tomatoes with olive oil and place them cut side down on a nonstick or foil-lined shallow baking dish. Roast for 35-45 minutes, until the tomatoes are very soft and the skins are dark. Remove them from the oven and let cool. The skins should then slip off easily.

Melt one half of the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and caramelize the fennel for about 15 minutes. Once caramelized add the chopped shallots, carrot, and garlic and sauté until they’re soft, about 10 more minutes. Add 3 cups of stock and the tarragon and parsley (keep the sprigs whole). Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the herb sprigs and add the roasted tomatoes and then the pernod. If using whole canned tomatoes instead of roasted tomatoes drain the tomatoes before adding them, and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes with the tomatoes before adding the Pernod.

Pure the soup in a blender or food processor – be careful with the hot liquid and don’t fill the blender all the way full (or you can us an immersion blender). Then add the puree back to the pot. Add the cream and return the soup to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Serve with croutons on top of soup.