Vegan Tomato Bisque
Serves 4 to 6
12 Roma tomatoes (about 3 3/4 pounds), stemmed and halved
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
5 garlic cloves, peeled
3 medium onions (about 1 pound), halved and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or covered with water, brought to a boil and soaked for an hour, drained
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large soup pot or saute pan with a lid, combine the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of the salt, the red pepper flakes, thyme, and oregano, the garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes so they are all cut-side down. Roast, uncovered for two to three hours, until the tomatoes are tender and the skin has cracked and the garlic is good and soft.
Meanwhile, add the onions, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a large skillet, and caramelize the onions
When they are done, add two tablespoons of tomato paste and cook, stirring often, while the paste caramelizes a bit, about 3 minutes. The bottom of the pan should be covered with browned bits of onions and tomato paste. Add 2 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge the bits.
Transfer the large pot with the cooked tomatoes to the stove top, and pluck off as many tomato skins as you can. Pour the onion-tomato paste-water mixture into the pot and bring this mixture to a simmer for about 10 minutes, just to encourage the flavors to mingle. While it bubbles, put the soaked cashews in a blender with 1/2 cup of fresh water and puree until perfectly smooth. Remove the cashew cream from the blender and set aside.
Working in batches, puree the the tomato mixture until smooth. Once all the soup has been pureed, whisk in the cashew cream. Return to the burner over medium heat until hot; stir in the chopped basil and serve, with a side of really good bread.
note, I peel the skins off the tomatoes while they are on the roasting pan. much easier than waiting til you put it in the soup. tweezers saves you from burnt fingers.
second edit, also, use a roasting pan instead of a pot to roast the tomatoes. i forgot that i rejected that part of the recipe. use a large flat roasting pan (with a rim, at least a little one, to catch the runoff, not a cookie sheet!)
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