No Flour, No Sugar - Cold Tomato Soup with Pesto

Oh My God - This is the best tomato soup I have ever had in my life.  It is served cold, so it's perfect for thie summer, and it tastes UNBELIEVABLE!!

The recipe ifncludes homemade arugla pesto, but I used pesto from the store.......  I don't forsee making arugla pesto, so I didn't copy that part of the recipe.

Soup

• 10 medium or 4 very large ripe tomatoes (about 4 pounds), cored (day old produce section)
• 1/4 cup olive oil ( I used less)
• 2 shallots, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (I used less)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I used 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup good-quality vodka (optional) ( I didn't)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set the cored tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast them until they look wrinkly, about 30 minutes; set aside. While the tomatoes cool, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small sauté pan. Add the shallots and 2 cloves chopped garlic and sauté over medium-low heat until they turn golden brown and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside.

When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins, which should slip off easily. Put the peeled tomatoes in the jar of a blender along with the sautéed shallots and garlic, crushed tomatoes (with juice), 1 tablespoon salt, and sugar. Process until the soup is smooth. Stir in the cream and vodka, if desired. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.

Serve it with a dolop or, if you are feeling fancy, a swirl of pesto on top.

Today, so far I  have had 1 cup of yogurt, 1 cup of berries, an apple, a med ice coffee with cream and splenda, and a HUGE bowl of this soup!!!  Dinner will probably be more of this soup.  It's that fantastic.

Probably some popcorn too.