Creamy Tomato Soup
I found this recipe in the local newspaper a long time ago and have changed it up a bit here and there. The soup is so full of flavor from roasting the tomato, onions and garlic together. The half and half and rice make it hearty enough for a meal. Perfect when you are feeling under the weather. Give it a try, so much better than canned soup!
1 cup long grain white
2 cups water
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 large onion (I used Vidalia) roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic (mine were big so I used 4)
1 tsp dried basil
olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
Salt & Pepper to taste
15 oz can tomato sauce (I didn’t have any so I used twice as much chicken broth)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup half & half (recipe says fat free but I would never do that, full fat here)
Cook the rice in the 2 cups water. Drain the diced tomatoes and reserve the liquid. Use a silicone spatula to press them and get as much juice out as you can. Transfer the tomatoes to a rimmed baking sheet. Add the onion, garlic, basil and olive oil. Strip the rosemary and add. Toss all together with olive oil (generous) and salt and pepper. Broil for 4-5 minutes ( I used the low broil setting and used the middle rack) then stir and broil for another 4-5 minutes until the onions just start to get brown.
Transfer this mixture to a blender and add the reserved tomato juice. Puree until smooth.
When the rice is ready add the tomato mixture and set over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. Heat until warmed, then stir in the half and half.
