Here is a recipe and some secrets found in research.

• To concentrate the tomato flavor and evaporate excess moisture, roast the tomatoes—tossed with onion, garlic, and olive oil at 450° for 15 minutes in the oven. Then puree them in a blender or reduce them using a hand-held immersion blender.
• Salt the reserved chopped tomatoes to soften their texture and add them to the soup during the last five minutes of cooking, thereby boosting the flavor with tiny bursts of fresh tomato essence.

Yield

10 people

Ingredients

	2 lbs	roma tomatoes
	2 stalks	celery, diced
	2 small	carrots, diced
	1 medium	yellow onion, finely chopped
	4 cloves	garlic, whole
	—	salt
	—	black pepper, fresh-ground
	¾ cup	extra virgin olive oil
	3 cans	(14-ounce) chopped tomatoes
	1 can	low-sodium chicken stock
	1	bay leaf
	2 tbsp	butter
	¼ cup	chopped fresh basil leaves
	2 cups	heavy cream, optional

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Process the tomatoes by cutting their tops off and brutally squeezing their liquid contents into a bowl. Cut roughly each tomato into 4 or 5 chucks and put into another bowl.

3. Chop up onion, celery and clean paper from garlic. Reserve half of onion. Toss rest of onion, plus celery and garlic in bowl with tomatoes and ¼ cup olive oil. Add pepper and salt and put into the oven for 15 minutes. There should be some browning, but little blackening of any of the ingredients.

4. Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the carrot and onion, sauté until just short of caramelization.

5. Add the juice from the tomatoes, 2 cans of tomatoes and chicken broth; simmer. To this add the vegetables from the oven once they are ready. Simmer all until carrots are tender, then puree using a hand-held immersion blender.

6. Add bay leaf and butter and continue simmering 10 minutes. Add basil. This can be set aside for later warming. When ready to serve add remaining can of tomato, puree and return to hot (simmer). Add the cream and butter and bring back up just barely to hot before serving. Garnish with parsley or other leaf.