CHILLED CREOLE TOMATO SOUP

Prep Time: 7½ Hours  
Yields: 4­–6 Servings

Comment:
Literally, there are wars fought, garden wars that is, over the best tomato varieties. In Louisiana, the decision was made years ago: there’s nothing better than Creole tomatoes! In this recipe, our famous Creole tomatoes are used to create a magnificent chilled soup, perfect for the hot summer season in the swamps of Louisiana.

Ingredients:
2 pounds Creole tomatoes, washed, cored and divided
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsps tomato paste
⅛ tsp smoked paprika
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp chopped basil leaves
1 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
6 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp sherry vinegar
¼ cup chopped basil leaves (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with vegetable spray. Cut 1 pound of tomatoes in half and arrange cut-side up on baking sheet. Arrange shallot and sliced garlic in a single layer over one area of the baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes then remove shallot and sliced garlic. Return baking sheet to the oven and roast until tomatoes are softened but not browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. In the bowl of a food processor, place sliced garlic, shallot and roasted tomatoes. Cut remaining Creole tomatoes into 1-inch cubes and add to the processor along with tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, basil and oregano. Season to taste using salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. Purée mixture until smooth, in batches if necessary. Once puréed, with processor running, drizzle in olive oil through feeding tube in a slow steady stream. Purée will turn orange in color. Strain purée through a fine mesh strainer into a glass bowl, pressing on solids in strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Stir in sherry vinegar until well combined. Cover and refrigerate a minimum of 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, whisk soup to recombine. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Sprinkle soup with fresh ground pepper and garnish with basil.