Creamy Tomato Soup With Oregano and Roasted Garlic

• olive oil↗1 tablespoon
• small onion↗1 small

  finely chopped (about 1 cup)

• diced tomatoes1 (28 ounce) can
• warm vegetable stock↗2 cups
• bulb roasted garlic1 bulb

  (see instructions below)

• fresh italian oregano leaves↗1⁄4 cup

  loosely packed (3 tablespoons chopped)

• salt↗

  to taste

• fresh ground pepper↗

  to taste

• heavy cream↗1 cup
• honey (optional) or sugar (optional)↗2 teaspoons

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   In a nonreactive soup pot, heat oil over medium-low heat and add onion.

2. 2

   Stir and saute for a minute or two.

3. 3

   Cover, lower heat and sweat onions for about 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Add tomatoes and stock to the pot, stir and increase heat to medium.

5. 5

   Squeeze garlic cloves from their skins into the soup pot and add 1 tablespoon of the garlic- infused oil left from roasting.

6. 6

   Add the oregano, stir well, cover and cook until soup comes to a simmer.

7. 7

   Simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Season with salt and pepper.

9. 9

   In a blender in small batches, blend the soup.

10. 10

    Return the blended soup to the pot.

11. 11

    Put the last ladle or two of soup into the blender, add cream and blend.

12. 12

    Then add the cream mixture to the soup pot and stir to blend.

13. 13

    Heat over low heat until the soup is heated through.

14. 14

    Taste for seasoning.

15. 15

    Sometimes canned tomatoes can be acidic so add honey or sugar to bring up the sweetness if necessary.

16. 16

    Serve hot.

17. 17

    Do not allow the soup to boil or it may separate.

18. 18

    To roast garlic, separate the cloves and put them in a small ovenproof dish and drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil and cover with foil.

19. 19

    Bake at 325 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes until the cloves are soft and tender.