Roasted Garlicky Tomato Soup

Evenings in this house can be crazy. We're constantly juggling gym time, Bible study, get-togethers, side hustle meetings with colleagues, and kids' activities. One thing we always make time for, though, is a real dinner, cooked at home.

Now, before I go any further, I want to dispel any assumptions that I'm cooking a gourmet meal every single night. I'm not, and I think this post is a perfect example of that. But one of our family values is real food, and another is staying on budget. To make sure we accomplish those two things, eating at home (or at least bringing along food we cooked at home) is the only way.

One of my favorite "tricks" to making it happen, even on our busiest nights, is employing the "Time Cook" setting on my oven.

I know not everyone has this function available, but if you do and you're just not using it, now is the time to start. I'll even go so far as to say that if you're thinking about replacing your range in the foreseeable future, it would be a great idea to look for one that has the Time Cook function.

The beauty of Time Cook is that you can get the depth of flavor that a longer roasting period can develop in your baked veggies, but without having to be at home to wait for it to happen. Roasting veggies like this can take 30 minutes or more, so being able to go about your nightly routine while they're cooking is a huge blessing.

For this recipe, I slice and season the tomatoes while the oven is preheating and the kids are getting dressed for whatever activity is happening that night. Then I throw them into the oven, set Time Cook for 30 minutes, and peace out. When we get home, all that's left to do is blend the soup in my Vitamix and toast up a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches, taking dinner prep time down to about 10 minutes.

One important thing to remember about using Time Cook:

This setting is not well suited to baking breads, muffins, or anything that has a specific cooking time. The oven will turn off after Time Cook is done, but it'll still be warm inside. Save this function for veggies and anything else that won't be ruined by staying warm for a longer period of time. Another recipe I've had luck with, using Time Cook, is this keto meatloaf.

If you try this out, let me know in the comments below! I'd love to hear how you employ your oven's Time Cook function in other recipes to make your life a little easier at dinnertime.

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Roasted Garlicky Tomato Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 lbs roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick

1 head of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper

1- 1 1/2 Cups unsweetened original almond milk (or substitute regular milk or another unflavored, dairy-free option)

1 Cup chicken or veggie stock

Lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Arrange tomato slices on the sheets in a single layer.

Separate the garlic cloves from one another (still in their skins) and scatter around the tomatoes.

Pull the leaves off 2-3 sprigs of rosemary and sprinkle over the tomatoes and garlic.

Drizzle everything with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes.

Squeeze the garlic cloves to remove them from their skins and add to a blender along with the tomatoes. Add the almond milk and blend on high until completely smooth. Add stock little by little until the desired consistency is reached. Taste for seasoning and adjust, adding more salt or even a squeeze of lemon if necessary. Blend again, then transfer to a pot on the stove to heat before serving.

Serving suggestion:

Add lemony roasted chickpeas to each bowl for a heartier option that's low-carb (a la Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook), or serve with grilled cheese sandwiches. Or both!