Last weekend was one of the most unproductive weekends on record for me. Seriously. Literally the only thing I managed to do was cleaning and organizing the freezer. I found a lot of Summer goodies waiting to be enjoyed. No better time than the present.
At the end of the Summer, when tomatoes are ripening faster than they can be consumed, I throw them in baggies whole and freeze them. They make a great substitute for canned tomatoes in chili, soups, and sauces. Wanting to try something new I gave roasted tomato soup a try. I wasn’t really sure if the frozen tomatoes would roast OK or if it would be a total failure. Figured I had enough tomatoes to take a gamble.
Jackpot! I used this Roasted Tomato Soup recipe, the biggest change I made was using the frozen tomatoes. I defrosted them in the fridge overnight in a large bowl. Cut them in the bowl as they will have a ton of juice in them. Separate the tomatoes from the juice, save the juice to use in place of some of the broth. I also added a pinch of sugar, ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. I thought this would be another recipe to use my new stick blender. Fail! My husband put the attachment in the dishwasher. R.I.P. stick blender, hardly knew ya.
Another item found in the wreckage of my freezer, basil pesto. As green as the day I made it. It was the perfect topping, along with a dollop of goat cheese, for the soup. The goat cheese was unnecessary, the pesto was the pièce de résistance!
Tastes like Summer! Ignore the fact that the temperatures in Chicago were almost 57° on this last day of January, this is a great Winter meal. Hard to believe last year at this time was Snowmageddon was almost upon us. I could really go for another snow day party.
Add to the greatness with a panini with pesto, mozzarella, and tomato to make it even better. Like my fancy panini press?
Tomatoes are a great way to enjoy a little Summer in the midst of Winter. Happy to find another great use for my frozen tomatoes since I no doubt will plant too many tomato plants again this Summer.
Nice PanPress…..a kettle ball on top might work too.
Oh, good call. That would really press it down, and still keep it CLASSY!
Gorgeous! I love tomato soup, and roasting undoubtedly brings out the best flavors in tomatoes. Very nice recipe!
SO happy to find I can roast the frozen ones too!
Oh that looks SO good. Jill came over Friday night and brought her Breville pannini maker, gourmet fixings and roasted tomato soup. It was delicious and SUCH a treat! This looks so good, I am going to try to make some soups this week, this is on the list!
Tomato soup with a panini is one of my favorite winter meals. This soup looks SO tasty!