Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Today was a rainy day.  A good soup day.  The kind of day where you are stuck at work late, miss your evening class, get stuck in traffic in the rain and all you want to do is throw on some pajamas and have some comfort food.  I stopped at Trader's on my way home to pick up some fresh tomatoes and basil and stumbled upon some freshly baked ciabatta bread and thought about making a grilled cheese to go with my tomato soup.  But what's better than grilled cheese?  Grilled cheese with tomatoes, basil, and a balsamic glaze...

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Large Ripe Tomatoes (Such as Heirloom or Beefsteak)
3/4 tsp Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 Medium Sweet Onion, diced
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 (15oz) can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
4 Cups Vegetable Broth
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Cup Half & Half (Or Soy Creamer)
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil

Preheat oven to 400F.  Cut tops off of tomatoes and place on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil.  Coat tomatoes with about 2 Tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and about 1/2 tsp sugar.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until skin starts to char.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add diced onion and saute until translucent.  Add minced garlic and stir to combine.  Add the can of diced tomatoes and the vegetable broth.  Once the roasting tomatoes are finished, add them whole to the soup mixture.  Stir to combine and with a wooden spoon smash the tomatoes into the side of the pot to break them up.  Add the cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt, and cracked pepper to taste and bring to a boil.  Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of the cream and the fresh basil.  With an immersion blender blend the soup together making sure there are no large chunks.  Serve hot with Grilled Caprese Ciabatta Panini.