Roasted Tomato Soup

Basic tomato soup, based on one by Martha Rose Shulman, from (I think) the NY Times. Yummy!

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 4  lbs  ripe tomatoes
• 1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1  onion, chopped
• 3  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
• 2  ounces  country bread
• 2  sprigs fresh basil
• 2  sprigs fresh thyme
• 2  sprigs fresh parsley
• 2  ounces  country bread
• 2  teaspoons salt
•  pepper
• 2  cups water

Directions

1. Put a rack at the highest possible place in the oven. Preheat the broiler.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and put the tomatoes on it so they don't touch. Broil 2 - 6 minutes, till the tomatoes char on top, then turn and repeat.
3. Remove from oven and put the tomatoes in a big bowl. Tip any juice form the pan into the bowl. When cool enough to handle, peel the tomatoes and break them up with your hands.
4. Heat the oil in a soup pot and saute onions and garlic over medium heat till they're beginning to turn golden.
5. Add sugar, tomatoes, basil, parsley, thyme, bread and salt. Cook, stirring often, till the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is thick and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot.
6. Puree, using an immersion blender. (The original recipe says to strain here -- but nothing went through my strainer, so I'm skipping it!).
7. Add water and heat till simmering.