Thursday, August 28, 2014

Roasted cherry Tomato Soup

Summer is winding down and if you have tomato plants like me, then you are trying your best to consume them all, preserve them all, or just give them all to your neighbors and chickens (sharing is caring). I discovered this delicious soup a few years back and I make it every summer! Last year I really got into freezer cooking and froze a bunch, it tastes just as amazing as the first day I made it! I even got comments like, "this was frozen, no way!" Yes I am a huge believer in my freezer, I freeze pounds and pounds of summer berries for the months ahead. We go blueberry picking a few times every summer and while I skipped this year, blueberries tend to get us (the husband & I) into friendly arguments;) My husband is a pretty good blueberry picker, "hey babe, you will not believe how many I got today"...please say 25 pounds..."50!!" His excitement is wonderful however processing that much before they all go bad can be nearly impossible! I need more baking sheets and another freezer! So we normally get in a little battle but it's a friendly one and it's all for the love of having delicious and safe berries in our freezer for the family all year long:) Here are a few pictures of years past in the blueberry field...


 This is my precious little one just weeks old!! He had no idea he was there...






We missed the season all together somehow when he was 1, but here he is 2 years old...oh I miss his adorable curly locks!!! Him & sweet Koco in the blueberry field!


This year we started a new tradition Raspberry picking, on top of buying from the local fruit stand. The berries are delicious!! My husband picked them here for his summer job growing up. 


Then the wild blackberry picking, these never make it in the freezer, they are always gone the day we pick them and we end up with purple fingers;) I go on a long walk around our house and we make a stop and I pick a small bag full for my sweet little one to munch on the rest of the walk back, it gives him something fun to look forward too and he loves to help:)!!


Before I got sidetracked with my berries, I was mentioning freezer cooking! Canning  I am not much of a fan of, but freezer cooking count me in!! It saved me so many times this past year when I was not in the mood to cook and would much rather have gone out, which in turn saved us money. Also for those busy days when dinner was the last thing you had time for! 


For storing this soup in the freezer I use these plastic food storage containers I saw on none other then the amazing Pioneer Woman's Blog. She is fantastic and is the reason I am in love with freezer cooking, my family may not be as big, but big or small its worth the extra time to always double something you can freeze and preserve those summer gardens! I found this soup from the wonderful ladies over at Our Best Bites, they always have amazing recipes on using up your gardens harvest. 


You want to start out by roasting 3 cups of fresh corn kernels, 2 heaping cups fresh cherry tomatoes, 4 cloves of roughly chopped garlic, drizzled with olive oil, salt, and freshly cracked pepper @ 400 degrees for 15-20 min.


While the Veggies are roasting away chop up your onion and drain your peppers.


Your tomatoes will be bursting and everything will look and smell delicious.


After all your ingredients are in and have simmered for 20 min, you can either use an immersion blender, transfer to your blender, or food processor. I prefer the immersion blender, saves time of transfer and the immersion blender is faster clean-up (I am all about finding easier ways to get those dishes clean)!


Here is your soup pureed to perfection and ready to eat! It is so simple, so tasty, and filling! I always just taste it and then put it in the freezer. I find it hard to eat hot soup for dinner after a hot day. One batch will fill two containers for the freezer. Enjoy it hot that day or take it out on a cold fall/winter day heat it over the stove and serve it up with a Grilled Cheese!!! YUM!!! Enjoy:)


Roasted Sweet Corn and Tomato Soup
From Our Best Bites

3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 cobs)
2 heaping cups cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, any color, diced
8 ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
32 ounces chicken broth (4 cups)
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
optional: chopped cilantro
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place corn, tomatoes, and garlic on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Gently toss with hands and then arrange in an even, flat layer.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tomatoes are crinkled and burst.
While vegetables are roasting, heat a stock pot to medium high heat on stove top.  Add remaining one teaspoon olive oil and diced onion.  Saute about 5 minutes, or until tender.  Add roasted bell peppers, chicken broth, smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder.  Add a 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper. (you can taste later and add more if need be.)
When corn and tomatoes are done roasting, add them to the pot, making sure to scrape off all of the bits on the pan.  Bring soup to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Use an immersion blender, or transfer soup to stand blender and puree until smooth. Top with extra corn or some chopped cilantro.  Serve and Enjoy!!! 

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