I fucking hate tomatoes. Raw tomatoes make me gag. I don’t know if it’s just that they’re so acidic or what, but I can’t stand raw tomatoes. Cook them, put them in a sauce, pop them on a pizza (in a sauce, not sliced), and I’m good to go. Try and make me eat a raw tomato and you’re going to have a bad day.

Since I was young I’d always liked tomato soup. Mostly the Campbell’s tomato soup. I can’t recall having anything else. Pair that with a grilled cheese sandwich and I was in heaven. I make a mean grilled cheese. It’ll take you back to being a kid. That’s a bit besides the point.

One night The Witch wanted tomato soup so we created this recipe. Since tomatoes make me gag I don’t really know much about the different types and their flavors. That is to say please choose your tomatoes to your preference (as with most things). If you like sweeter, choose those. If you want a more acidic soup go that way. Cooking and baking, while similar definitely diverge in some ways. With cooking it can be easier to experiment with swapping this for that. It’s not going to ruin something if you switch from tomato A to tomato B, or add in a red pepper, but if you choose baking power instead of baking soda in some baking recipes you’re gonna have flat cookies and cakes.

Taste the soup as you make it. Add more salt and pepper if you choose. If you’re looking to reduce the acidity of the soup leave out some salt and add more Parmesan cheese. Want it a bit creamier? Throw in some heavy cream. If you want to sweeten it up you can always add some basil. Let this take you back to being a kid. Strive for that flavor. Enjoy the ability to experiment and taste. Can you go wrong? If you don’t like it then, sure I guess, but really try and treat it as a learning experience. What worked? What didn’t? Don’t be too hard on yourself. Easier said than done I know.

Ok, back to the soup. We found that you definitely want to go light on the salt if you’re going to add all of the Parmesan we call for. That’s a saltier cheese and can really add to the saltiness of the soup. I tend to like things with a bit more cracked pepper than most. You can always add some right at then end to your own bowl. We are roasting the tomatoes and onions together on a large sheet pan. There’s a decent amount of Olive oil to prevent sticking and add flavor. You can do roasted garlic cloves or minced, whichever you prefer. Be careful with minced as it will be in the oven a bit and you don’t want it to burn. You can roast the basil too if you’d like. It’s all going to get blended so go for it. Season before you roast. Once you blend everything down, add the parm, and you’re ready to serve think about how you want to top it off. A slight bit of heavy cream? More Parm? Maybe some fig balsamic? That’s our go to for sure. If you aren’t dipping your grilled cheese into fig balsamic you haven’t lived.

I’m rambling as usual. It’s a fairly quick and easy soup. Get ready to be transported back to your childhood with some added grown up flavor. Dunk your grilled cheese in your soup or take a bit and then a spoonful of soup. It’s your life I’m not here to tell you what to do. Just enjoy it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb Cherry tomatoes

• 1 1/2 lb Roma tomatoes

• 1 1/2 lb tomatoes on the vine (who knows what those are. I don’t)

• 1/2 sweet onion

• 4 gloves of garlic (or the equivalent of minced)

• 1/2 Cup fresh basil

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 Tablespoon sugar

• 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/4 - 1/2 Cup whole milk or heavy cream (for garnish or to make it creamier)

• Fig Balsamic to your hearts content

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

2. Quarter the larger tomatoes, halve the Cherry ones

3. Chunk up the onion. Sizable pieces to match the size of the tomatoes

4. Put the tomatoes, onions, and garlic on the sheet pan and coat with the olive oil

5. Bake for 45 minutes

6. Once out of the oven blend until smooth

7. Simmer in a large pot for 15-20 minutes

8. Add the grated parmesan and sugar and simmer for another 5-10 minutes

9. Garnish if desired with the heavy cream and fig balsamic.

10. Make a grilled cheese and enjoy your life for a little bit.

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