HealthyServes 4-6
Ingredients:
4 pounds tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 bulb of garlic, cloves separated but unpeeled
1/2 lb of bacon
1 bunch of kale or chard or spinach
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half (I used fat-free half and half)
Directions:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350-degrees. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up , in a single layer on a large, shallow baking pan. Nestle garlic in between tomato halves. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast one hour, then cool in the pan on a rack. When fully cooled, peel the garlic. While cooling the tomatoes and garlic, cook the bacon. Make it a little on the crispy side to add some good texture to the soup. You can reserve some of the bacon fat to saute the kale in. Set both kale and bacon aside for later.
Cook onion, oregano, and sugar in butter in a 6 to 8 quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about five minutes.
Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
Puree soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then strain into cleaned pot, discarding solids.
Stir in cream. Salt and pepper to taste, bacon crumbles and kale then simmer two minutes more.
Serve with cheese bread.