Ingredients:
· 1 medium potato*
· 1 sweet potato
· 2 carrots
· 1 bell pepper (red or green)
· 1 medium onion
· 4-5 cloves garlic
· 8-10 leaves fresh basil
· 8-10 large tomatoes
· Salt, pepper, and oregano (to taste)
*Why potatoes and carrots? It gives thickness to the soup, makes it naturally sweet, and cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.
**After roasting the vegetables, you can freeze the mixture to make the soup later. This is a great option for the end of farmer’s market season to get you through the winter months.
Preparation:
· Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Clean and slice the potatoes, carrots, pepper, and onion into ½ inch slices. Layer in the bottom of a roasting pan.
· Step 2:
Cut the tomatoes in half. Squeeze to get rid of excess seeds, then slice them. Place them over top of the other vegetables in the roasting pan. Bake for 60 minutes with aluminum foil as a cover, then remove the foil for the final 60 minutes.**
· Step 3:
In a stock pot, combine the roasted vegetables with vegetable stock and puree. An immersion blender works well for this step. If using the blender, gradually add the liquid until pureed and thick.
· Step 4:
Return the pureed liquid to the stock pot, then add the remainder of the vegetable stock until it is to your desired thickness.
· Step 5:
Add milk to serve.