Freshly Roasted Tomato Soup

To roast the tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Spread the tomatoes on a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of melted ghee, maple syrup and BBQ mesquite seasoning and blend together. Pour mixture over the tomatoes – cut sides facing up. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste and roast in the oven at 400F for about 45 minutes.

In a large stock pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender – about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, fresh basil and broth. Stir in the oven roasted tomatoes and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and in the stockpot, puree the mixture with an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a food processor or blender to blend. Be careful because the soup is very hot. Remember to start blending at a slow speed and increase gradually. The soup should be smooth with some tomato chunks. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can prepare the soup to this point and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. Before serving, stir in 1 tablespoon of ghee. YUM!

Serves 4 generously and super delish with grilled cheese sandwich made with Black Garlic Ghee.