Roasted French Onion Tomato Soup

 

3½ pounds tomatoes, halved

4 T. olive oil, divided

2 large onion, quartered

1 head garlic, trimmed ½ inch from the top

3 sprigs thyme

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. smoked paprika

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1–1 ½ cups vegetable broth

½ cup basil leaves

½ cup heavy cream

6 slices baguette

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or gruyere

 

Heat oven to 450°F. Add tomatoes—we used Roma and Campari tomatoes, but you can really use anything!—onions, head of garlic, and thyme to a baking dish. Drizzle with 3 T. olive oil and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Roast until tomatoes have softened and are golden brown on top, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove thyme and discard. Squeeze garlic cloves from the bulb into a blender and discard skins. Transfer remaining tomato mixture to the same blender and add in basil. Blitz until smooth, add broth, and blitz again. Add remaining ½ cup broth if the soup’s too thick. Transfer soup to a large pot. Bring soup to a simmer, stir in heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat broiler, place bowls on a baking sheet, and divide soup among bowls. Layer a slice of bread on top of each bowl of soup, evenly sprinkling cheese on top of each. Broil until cheese is bubbly and brown, 3 to 4 minutes.