Roasted Carrot Tomato Soup

Today's creation is a roasted carrot and tomato soup.  And it's so good, my tummy hurts from eating two HUGE bowls way too fast.

One medium red onion
6 large carrots
olive oil
salt
white wine
6 cups chicken broth (or 6 cups water and 6 boullion cubes)
6oz can tomato paste

Dice onion and carrots, but they don't have to be pretty because you're going to puree the whole thing once it's all cooked.  You will want the carrots about the same size just so they cook evenly.  You don't want some to burn while others aren't even tender yet, and you'll get that if they are very uneven.  No need to get out the ruler here ... just a reasonable eyeball is plenty good.

Add a little olive oil to a heavy duty pan, large enough to hold 8 cups or more in volume.  Add the diced onion and carrots and a little salt to help bring out their moisture.  Be careful not to over salt at this point.  You'll want to check for seasoning after you've purred your soup, because you never really know how salty your stock, broth, or boullion will be once it's reduced.  I cooked the carrots and onions low and slow.  Didn't really bring the heat up past a 7 while they were roasting.  You can also place your pan in the oven and let it roast, rather than having it on the stove top at this point.  You want the slow caramelizing of the natural sugars in both the carrots and onions to come out slowly so they don't scorch and burn. 

Once the carrots are tender, crank the heat up and watch it carefully for the caramalization to get a little darker, but still be careful not to burn it.  Now deglaze with a cup of white wine.  Scrape up the toasty bits of carrot and onions that got stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Add the 6 cups of broth / bouillon and water.  Bring this to a boil just to get it's attention, then turn it off.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop out half of your cooked carrot chunks and place them in your blender or food processor.  Yes, more will fit, but do not put more than 1/3 max capacity into your blender or processor.  Ladle a cup or more of the liquid into the blender too.  Put the lid on the blender.  Place a kitchen towel over the lid and hold it down tight.  HOT LIQUIDS IN THE BLENDER WILL EXPAND, SPLURT OUT, AND BURN YOU.  Putting the kitchen towel on top of the lid will help protect you from getting hurt.  Your mixture will be very thick, so use a spatula and scoop it back into the soup pot.  Scoop out the rest of the cooked carrot chunks and repeat the pureeing process.  Do it in 2 batches so you don't get hurt and don't send carrot soup splattering and shooting all over your kitchen.

Return the last of the puree to the soup pot and stir.  Add your tomato paste and whisk everything until it's all blended, thick, creamy, and smooth.  Taste for seasoning, and add a little more salt if you'd like it.

Would be fabulous with a big hunk of crusty bread with Parmesan cheese toasted on top.  But I had mine straight up with a side of diet coke.  Twice.  Yeah ... two bowls of this and there's more to have for supper.  I'll freeze what's left so I can have more later.  This would also make a DREAMY pasta sauce.  Add some roasted butternut squash chunks to some whole wheat pasta or some spaghetti squash, and you'll have a dreamy meal that you'll swear should be illegal!

Stay hungry.