Fresh, homegrown tomatoes are one of my favorite things about summer. I love going to pick them, and luckily they do last for a while, but there comes a point when you just need to use them up before they go bad! I’m sharing some ideas of things you can make with tomatoes. Most are very simple “recipes,” and first up is my favorite way to make creamy roasted tomato basil soup.
For the soup, start by coring, halving, and seeding the tomatoes, then roast them with some onions and garlic, all tossed in a little olive oil. Next, you’ll put everything in the blender and add some cream, parmesan cheese, basil, and a touch of salt, pepper, and sugar. Finally, add some broth and then serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
7-8 large tomatoes, cored, halved, and seeded
handful of grape tomatoes, optional
1 large onion, quartered
8-10 garlic cloves, peeling left on
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 C fresh basil
1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 C heavy whipping cream or half & half
sugar, salt, and pepper, to taste
2 C vegetable broth
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread halved tomatoes (and grape tomatoes if using), onion, and garlic on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until tomatoes and onions begin to blacken.
4. Remove from oven and let cool. Then, slip off tomato and garlic skins and discard.
5. Blend tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Then, add basil and blend more.
6. Pour into a large pot and add parmesan cheese, cream, sugar (start with 1 tsp. and taste), salt, and pepper.
7. Once combined, add broth and let simmer until hot.
This soup freezes well — just don’t add the parmesan cream and cheese until you’re ready to serve. It’s a great way to use a lot of tomatoes, and it’s perfect even if your tomatoes aren’t at their peak freshness.
If you’re looking to make even more things out of your tomatoes, try these simple “recipes.”
Tomato and macaroni salad – Mix macaroni noodles with chopped tomatoes, mayo, salt and pepper. So easy and classic.
Grilled caprese vegetables – Brush veggies with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill, then top with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic glaze. I like to use a mixture of onions, peppers, zucchini, and yellow squash, and I don’t have a regular grill, but a grill pan works just fine.
“Not quite” tomato soup – I got this recipe from StyleBlueprint here, and it’s a lot like tomato gravy. I serve mine over brown rice.
You also can’t go wrong with a tomato sandwich, Southern-style. Make sure you slather both slices of bread with Duke’s mayo, and put salt and pepper on your tomatoes. I like to have sliced tomato as a side with dinner, and of course, I make lots of caprese salads, too. I added peaches to this one and switched out the fresh mozzarella for burrata cheese and it was so good!
I hope this gives you lots of ideas for things you can make with fresh tomatoes if you happen to be lucky enough to get a bunch of them this summer. Enjoy, and let me know if you try any of my suggestions!
