Roasted Tomato Coconut Milk Soup

Rain and a cool front in the forecast mean it is officially soup weather!  I used to not be a big fan of soup.  In elementary school, the cafeteria had specific food on specific days.  One of the days was dedicated to grilled cheese and soup.  My friends and I loved the grilled cheese, so much so that we would take delight in eating the discarded crust off of our picky friends' sandwiches.  I don't remember much about the soup except that it was some sort of vegetable soup and that we deemed it "rat poison" because it was gross.  It was lackluster compared to the toasty, gooey, buttery grilled cheese.  I sort of kept the same sentiment about soup until a couple of years ago when my tastes changed and I began making my own soup at home.

I tend to prefer hearty soups with a bit of texture instead of thin, broth-y ones.  Looking back at the other 3 soups I've posted on the blog in the past, I also tend to prefer adding a bit of coconut milk to my soups.  I like it both for the creaminess and flavor it adds to soups.  It works really well with the tomatoes in this soup because it balances out their acidity and adds a tiny hint of sweetness.  The herbs add an earthy dimension to the soup so don't skimp.  If you aren't much of a soup person, this actually makes a really tasty sauce for pasta.

Oh, and in case you were wondering what the bread ia in the last photo, I'll be sharing the recipe for it later on in the week.  Happy soup season!

**sorry for the graininess in some of the photos... I had the ISO up high because I was trying to shoot everything before I lost the sunlight

Roasted Tomato Coconut Milk Soup 
I'm a little sensitive to the acid in tomatoes, so I added a 1/4 tsp baking soda to the soup while it was simmering to neutralize some of the acid.    

5 large tomatoes, quartered
salt
pepper
olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
pinch of red pepper flakes
small handful of basil and/or mint, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 can of coconut milk (about 2/3 cup)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Place the tomatoes on the sheet and drizzle them with a bit of olive oil.  Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on the tomatoes. Place the sheet in the oven and roast the tomatoes for 35-40 minutes until they have softened and the juices are beginning to caramelize on the pan.

While the tomatoes are roasting, heat a tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium low heat. Add the onion to the pot and cook it until it begins to caramelize (about 20-25 minutes), then drop the heat to low.  Add the minced garlic to the onions.  Stir the onion and garlic mixture occasionally until the tomatoes are finished roasting.

When the tomatoes are ready, add them to the pot along with any juices from the pan.  Gently mash the tomatoes down with the back of your spoon until a chunky sauce starts to form.  Roughly chop the basil and mint and add them to the pot along with the thyme and sage.  Stir the herbs in, then add the coconut milk. Raise the heat to medium low, allowing the soup to come to a simmer,  Once the soup comes to a simmer, allow it to cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, blend it with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.  You can make it as chunky or as smooth as you like.  Return the soup to the pot and keep it warm over low heat.  Taste the soup and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.  Serve warm with a bit of coconut milk drizzled on top.  Leftovers keep in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 2-3 months.  Makes 4-6 servings.