Cream of Tomato Soup

Here in Minnesota it is cold. Really cold! The expected high for today is about 0 Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius).
On days like today nothing is more comforting than a nice bowl of hot soup. I have been craving a good tomato soup lately and this was very satisfying. The step of roasting the vegetables before they go into the soup is definitely worth the extra time. It brings out more intense deep flavors and brings the soup from just good, to fantastic! 

To make a pot for 4-6 people you need:
2 28-ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes
(whole, peeled)
1 large White or yellow onion, thinly sliced
4-8 garlic cloves (depending on your taste), peeled and smashed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups chicken stock
4 sprigs fresh Thyme leaves, leaves picked
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped basil

Step 1, roast vegetables:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the juice. Cut the tomatoes in half. Toss in a medium size bowl with onion slices and garlic and about 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast until onions turn brown, about 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through to prevent burning.

Step 2, make soup:
Transfer the tomato onion mixture to a large heavy bottomed pot. Add the reserved tomato juice, stock and fresh thyme. Let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Blend with immersion blender (or regular blender) until smooth, taking care not to splatter the hot soup. Add heavy cream and return to a simmer, but do not boil. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with fresh basil

Drizzle with cream and some of your best olive oil just for prettiness.