Last night I made this soup for dinner, along with hummus, tomato, and avocado sandwiches. It was fabulous. I had made it before, but I’ve been avoiding it because it requires an hour of roasting for the vegetables, which turns our little apartment into an oven. Yesterday I braved the heat and made the soup, and it was so worth it.

The soup is light and summery, but deep with the flavors of caramelized leeks and carrots. It’s a delicious way to get some veggies in. It’s fairly easy to throw together, and perfect for summer when tomatoes are ripe and cheap. The leeks are always a little more expensive, but they add such a perfect mild onion flavor to the soup. The original recipe calls for topping the soup with fresh basil, which I opted not to do, simply because I didn’t have any on hand.

Notes: Be very careful when pureeing hot liquids in a blender. It’s best to use the lid, but leave the top hole open to allow the steam to escape; use a folded dishtowel to loosely cover the hole and prevent splashing.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

• 6 beefsteak tomatoes, halved and cored
• 2 leeks, white and pale-green parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425°F. In roasting pan, toss tomatoes, leeks, carrots, garlic cloves, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer (tomatoes cut sides down) until tender, 1 hour. Using tongs, peel off the tomato skins. In a saucepan, bring vegetables, broth, and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. In batches, puree in blender. Stir in basil.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Everyday Food magazine.