Roasted Tomato, Whipped Burrata, and Basil Oil Soup

Ingredients

For the soup

• 2
  
  pounds Roma tomatoes
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 
  
  A sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper
  
• 4
  
  tablespoons butter
  
• 2
  
  large shallots
  
• 2
  
  large cloves garlic
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
• 5
  
  cups rich chicken broth
  
• 2
  
  large basil leaves
  
• 
  
  Additional salt and pepper, to taste
  

For the burrata, basil oil, and putting it all together

• 1
  
  cup fresh basil leaves
  
• 1/2
  
  cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/4
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 1
  
  eight-ounce ball of fresh burrata cheese
  
• 
  
  Roasted tomato soup
  

Directions

For the soup

1. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and seed them. Place the halves, cut side up, on a parchment- or Silpat-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle them with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over. Roast in a 350° F oven for one hour. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Finely dice the shallots and garlic. In a 4 quart soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter, add the diced garlic and shallots and sauté until they soften up and become very fragrant. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of flour and then saute for another minute or two.
3. Add the chicken broth and roasted tomatoes to the pot, bring up to a boil, and then simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.
4. Let the soup cool a bit and then, in batches, purée the soup in a blender until quite smooth. During one of those batches add the two basil leaves so that they get puréed also.
5. You can certainly strain the soup into a clean pot, but I don’t mind the few stray bits of tomato that might remain, so I leave it a little “rustic”. In any event, return the puréed soup to a clean pot.

For the burrata, basil oil, and putting it all together

1. Place the basil leaves, olive oil, and salt in a blender and then blend until the mixture gets as smooth as you can get it. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all of the oil. Set aside.
2. Break up the ball of burrata and place in a mini food processor and process until light and fluffy.
3. Gently reheat the soup, ladle into serving bowls and top each with a dollop of the whipped burrata and a drizzle of the basil oil.