Oven Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I am fortunate to have two wonderful grandmas that have taught me so much. Both of them are fantastic cooks too. A couple weeks ago one of my grandmas was helping host a hayride at their farm. She was making homemade donuts (I am going to have to get that recipe from her!) and wanted to catch the hayride. Well, she ended up taking a fall before she got to the hayride, broke her arm and got 21 stitches in her head. After two weeks in the hospital she is finally home. Since she likes to make everything from scratch, I wanted to make her something homemade and easy to heat up at home. I have had this recipe pinned and I thought it would be something she would enjoy. It was very tasty and perfect for this cool weather.

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:
3 lbs tomatoes
1 onion
3 garlic cloves (or dried minced garlic)
salt and pepper
olive oil
16 oz chicken broth or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp dried thyme
fresh mozzarella

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or spray grease.
2. Wash tomatoes and cut into eighths. Peel onions and cut into pieces. Lightly drizzle olive oil over onions and tomatoes then toss to coat, lay on baking sheet skin side town for the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic. Heat in oven for 35-40 minutes.
3. Transfer vegetables and juices to broth/ stock. Add thyme, basil, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Remove bay leaf and puree soup. Add additional seasonings if necessary.
5 Serve soup with fresh mozzarella or grilled mozzarella sandwiches.

Adapted from Strudel and Cream- Creamy Oven Roasted Tomato Soup with Mozzarella