Roasted Tomato & Garlic Soup

By brenie_shydee

Ingredients

• 3 (10-ounce) beefsteak tomatoes, halved
• 8 garlic cloves
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
• 1/4 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Working with 1 beefsteak tomato at a time, squeeze halves into a bowl; reserve seeds and juice. Arrange garlic and tomatoes, cut sides down, in a single layer on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan; coat with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly charred. Reserve juices.

3. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add rice; sauté 1 minute or until toasted. Add reserved tomato juices, tomato mixture, stock, canned tomatoes, and salt to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes.

4. Place half of soup mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup mixture. Stir in half-and-half and pepper. Sprinkle with chives, if desired.