Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup

If Roma Tomatoes have found their way into your garden this summer, this Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup would make a delicious weekend lunch alongside a crisp garden salad. Originally posted on my blog, What I Gather, this soup also includes thyme and oregano, both of which are growing abundantly in my garden right now, and it happens to be dairy free (the creaminess comes from coconut milk). I am sure other tomato varieties would work just as well, but I am partial to the deep, smoky flavor of roasted Romas. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients
-1 fennel bulb, sliced
-1 medium white onion, sliced
-1.5 lb medium roma tomatoes (about 6), sliced in half
-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-7 oz coconut milk (half of a standard 14oz can)
-1.5 cups chicken stock
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 tsp chopped thyme
-1 tsp chopped oregano
-salt and pepper to taste
-2 tbsp fennel fronds, chopped (for garnish)

Directions
-Preheat oven to 400 F

-Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place fennel slices, onion slices and tomato halves on the baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over fennel and onions. Place in the oven to roast.

-After 30 minutes, remove the onions and fennel from the oven and place them in a large saucepan or pot. Continue to roast the tomatoes for another 30 minutes.

-When the tomatoes are roasted, add them to the pot with the onions. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Turn the pot to medium-high heat and bring the soup to a boil. Once soup is boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

-Transfer into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and pulse a few times until the soup reaches your desired consistency. I like mine to be pretty thick and chunky so I don’t blend it for long.

-Transfer soup into serving bowls. Top with chopped fennel fronds.