• Ann Miller-Tobin
  • nap time is over now it's time to wash the walls!!!!  –  on Oct 21 @ 6:43 pm

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Roasted Tomato & Pepper Soup with Pesto Cream Cheese Schmutz
This is a recipe close to my heart. My dad and I for years have competed to see who grew and picked the first tomato each season. Last summer was the first time I had my own house and vegetable patch, before I would grow tomatoes in pots on porches, patios, and sidewalks where ever I could. Well with my own land I went a little crazy and planted 25 tomato plants I had started from seed. It goes without saying I was swimming in tomatoes! Which was a good thing because my dad was dying of lung cancer last summer and not really up to the challenge. Mom planted the tomatoes for dad, and several of the plants were some of those I started from seed. He was often too tired to garden but enjoyed going out to visit his veggies as often as he could. He was never well enough to visit me and see the veggie garden I had created. The crop was coming in and believe me it was a crop! My dad was growing weaker. He had good days and bad, good weeks and awful months. I took my crop and tried a variety of recipes and developed this roasted tomato - pepper soup. The cancer and the chemo took most of the joy and taste of food away from my dad. Nothing sounded good to him or tasted good to him. I was constantly taking things home trying to tempt him to eat. One weekend took him this soup. He wanted to try it right away cold, hot it did not matter he wanted it. And he loved it, he could taste the flavors and he ate, and he ate, bowl after bowl, pints of my soup. In the end he wanted nothing but my soup. I intended to can a whole bunch of the soup for the winter but I was more than glad to carry it home to my father who passed in October. I would have made him all the soup in the world if it could have cured him but I am glad to know it brought him some joy in the end, however small. I hope you will enjoy it too.
  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • |
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • |
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • |
  • Servings: 10
  • 4 pound(s) of tomatoes
  • 1 sea salt n pepper to taste
  • 1 head of garlic peeled and rough chopped
  • 1 pkg bacon
  • 4 large red peppers chopped and de-seeded
  • 4 large yellow peppers chopped and de-seeded
  • 4 large orange peppers chopped and de-seeded
  • 2 large sweet yellow onions
  • 1 cup(s) of bunch fresh basil leaves
  • 4 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 3 medium jalapenos copped and de-seeded
  • 8 ounce(s) of Philly Cream Cheese
  • 1/4 cup(s) of butter
  • 1/4 cup(s) of pesto for garnish
  • 8 ounce(s) of Philly Cream Cheese for garnish
  • 1 cup(s) of Croutons for garnish
Steps
  1. core and cut tomatoes in half and place in large oven roasting pan
  2. chop and de-seed all peppers and place in roasting pan with tomatoes
  3. peel head of garlic and rough chop & add to the roasting pan.
  4. add the bacon un-cooked to the roasting pan
  5. Add the 1 cup of fresh basil leaves to the roasting pan mixture. Make sure the stems are removed and they leaves have been washed and patted dry.
  6. Salt n pepper all items in the roasting pan and toss
  7. Pour the olive oil over the items in the roasting pan and toss lightly.
  8. Place the roasting pan full of veggies, and bacon and herbs into a pre-heated 450 degree oven on the middle upper rack and cook for approx 30 mins. Still everything is soft and juicy.
  9. After the veggies come out of the oven blend contents in batches in a blender on the liquefy setting. Pour the contents into a large stock pot or soup pan and heat over medium heat.
  10. Once everything is blended and in the pot add 1/4 cup butter and the 8oz of Philly cream cheese and stir till melted and incorporated.
  11. Salt n pepper to taste.
  12. You can adjust the flavoring at this point according to your taste. I usually tinker and add Italian spices and some red pepper flakes till I have it where I like it.
  13. For the pesto cream sauce garnish you can pick up a jar of pesto at your local grocer found sometimes in the Italian food aisle they will have tubes of basil pesto, next to tomato paste tubes, mix the pesto with 4 oz. of Philly cream cheese.
  14. When serving the soup garnish with croutons and a dollop of the pesto cream cheese topping. Serve immediately and enjoy!
20 Comments
  • 1 – May 8, 2010
Roasted tomato pepper soup sounds sooo yummy right now. Your video's are amazing...
  • 2 – May 12, 2010
Love, love, love tomato soup, and this one sounds fantastic. And great idea for the pesto cream cheese (schmutz... too cute)! And, for all of those who have never had tomatoes from the garden... they don't know what they're missing! As a kid, I would pick the tomato right off of the plant and eat it like an apple. Yes, it was very messy, but how can you pass up a wonderful, sweet, home grown tomato!?! Great job! Take care, Jan
  • 3 – May 12, 2010
Looks delicious, I am so happy for you! Good luck in Savannah! I have been following you since day one well deserved!
  • 4 – May 12, 2010
Yes, you did it Ann! Wow! You are going to Savannah! I am very happy for you and know you will make us all proud! :-)
  • 5 – May 12, 2010
Ann your recipe looks delicious!!! Great Job on your video.....CONGRATULATIONS GIRL YOU DID IT!!! Hugs Tresa
  • 6 – May 12, 2010
Great recipe Ann! And it IS the winner. Congratulations I am THRILLED for you!!! Am so touched about your dad. I know he would be so Proud of you.
  • 7 – May 12, 2010
SO Gourmet!!! Great job Ann, I was so excited to see your name! Congrats. again, I know you'll "Shake 'em up"! -Nana
  • 8 – May 12, 2010
Congrats on your recipe! You are amazing and you deserve this....have tons of fun!