When the weather starts changing into fall, all I want are soups and stews. This tomato soup featuring the last of my garden bounty has me savoring the summer flavors and because it contains no dairy, you can freeze and enjoy it for up to three months!

This soup features late summer roasted tomatoes, veggies, and herbs in the oven to create a deeper flavor that brings out the tomato's natural sweetness. We discovered this recipe loosely based off a recipe from "the kitchn" after my mom picked close to 20 lbs of tomatoes out of my garden, and we had no idea how to utilize them all. How did she pick 20 lbs you ask? Because I made the "mistake" of planting thirty-three tomato plants. Thirty-three might be a few too many, lesson learned. 

You will need:

2 lbs ripe tomatoes cut into one in chunks (if using cherry tomatoes, add in whole)

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 head garlic cut in half, so the cloves are showing

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

Kosher salt & black pepper

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375 and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. 

Place two pounds chopped ripe tomatoes, 1 chopped red bell pepper, ½ thinly sliced medium yellow onion, and 1 halved head garlic on the baking sheet. 

Drizzle with ¼ cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sugar (this will help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and bring out their natural sweetness). Toss together with your hands until evenly coated and arrange into an even layer with the garlic cut-side down. Top with 2 fresh rosemary sprigs. 

Roast until the tomatoes are softened or the small tomatoes burst open (55 minutes to an hour.) Let cool slightly for about 5 minutes.

Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the garlic head onto the baking sheet and discard the peels. Pick the leaves from the rosemary and place on the roasted veggie mixture and discard the stems.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 tbsps tomato paste and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes until it darkens in color. Add in the roasted tomato mixture, including any juices on the baking sheet. Cook until the tomato paste is fully mixed in with the tomato mixture, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth and season with a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat as needed and let simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Turn off the heat. Blend directly in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth,  and if the soup is too thick, add some more broth  as needed to thin it out. 

Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed and serve with freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. This pairs perfectly with a melty grilled cheese on the side for dipping.