By Jacob Mathias

Hello, fellow eaters. Like all of you I’m complaining and gearing up for the next polar vortex, cold front or whatever it is we’re calling the weather we’re all about to suffer through once more. For all the problems this weather creates, it opens a lot of time for staying inside and cooking.

Tomato Soup and Grilled cheese is a timeless combination of tangy buttery goodness; however, someone at the canned soup factory decided that concentrated tomato soup actually tasted like tomatoes is sadly mistaken.

Today we’re going to change what tomato soup is to you.

You will need:

4 ripe tomatoes, halved
2 ribs celery chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. olive oil divided
6 basil leaves
4 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the tomato halves in olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Put in oven and bake for 20 minutes.
While the tomatoes bake, sauté the carrot, onion and celery in the olive oil over medium high heat until lightly browned.

Add in tomatoes, chicken stock and basil and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer the soup for 15 minutes to reduce and concentrate flavors. Using an immersion blender or carefully using a standard blender, puree the soup until smooth.

Serve with a drizzle of sour cream and a grilled cheese of your liking.

And remember, Live to Eat!