My husband came up with this recipe on a camping trip when our crackers had gotten stale. CornNuts provided the crunch and flavor we wanted in our soup and it has been a favorite of ours, and my clients, ever after!

By: Catering By Corinne

Difficulty: EASY
Cook Time: 1 ½ hours
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, halved
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 cups finely chopped sweet onion (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 spritzes Tabasco sauce
1 (28 0z) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 bag CornNuts for garnish

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, salt and peppers, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic just until softened, taking care not to brown the garlic. Add the can of tomatoes, herbs and stock.

Add the oven roasted tomatoes, including the liquid. Bring all the ingredients to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Add optional cream at this time.

Pass everything through a food mill or puree in a food processor. Season to taste. Serve hot topped with CornNuts.