Cold days bring thoughts of a bowl of warm soup and a piece, or two, of crusty bread to dip. This recipe is simple, but the flavors are amazing, and best of all, they are customizable to your preferences and needs. I prefer mine with either a piece of cheesy sourdough bread, or to toss in some sourdough croutons just before i eat.

3-4 lbs vine ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters

1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks

2 red peppers, seeded and cut into quarters

2 heads garlic, the one end cut off and set standing cut side up

olive oil

salt/pepper

1 container chicken stock (or veg stock if you prefer)

Preheat your oven to 400*

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, you will place all your cut veggies. Drizzle with olive oil, and salt/pepper liberally. Make sure your garlic heads have a good dose of oil as they will roast beautifully.

Place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven at 400* and roast for 30-35 min until they are just starting to char a little. Feel free to pull them out sooner if you do not prefer that added flavor!

Carefully squeeze the garlic out of the shells onto the sheet with the roasted tomatoes & throw away the papery shells. Now you want to place all the veggies, and pour all the oil that is on the parchment, into a blender. Blend until smooth. Place your veggie mixture into a pot and add the broth. I add tarragon, red pepper flakes, and more salt/pepper to taste at this stage. You can add whatever herbs and seasoning you prefer!

Bring to a boil, then serve! If you prefer a cream based tomato soup, add a bit of heavy cream. It doesn’t take but a little, so just drizzle in a couple tablespoons and stir.