Roasted Tomato & Potato Soup w/ Herbes de Provence & Buttery Rosemary Croutons

We're posting this week from Samoëns, France where we're spending a week vacationing with our daughter, her husband and our three granddaughters. Samoëns is a tiny French village about an hour outside of Geneva, in the heart of the French Alps. We've been immersed in staggering beauty, as you'll see from the pictures, and have stayed busy from morning till night with all kinds of outdoor activities, exploring charming Samoëns and keeping up with our girlies...............

After a long, day of skiing, sledding and just being out in the fresh mountain air, it seems that everyone has quite the healthy appetite. We've tried to keep the meals simple so that no one has to spend hours in the kitchen when there's so much else to enjoy. A bowl of steaming, hearty soup along with a loaf of the delicious, rustic local bread, warmed slightly, seems to be the perfect dinner.

I made this yummy Roasted Tomato & Potato Soup w/ Herbes de Provence for dinner last night. It comes together super quickly, but has depths of delicious flavor from the roasting technique and the wide variety of vegetables included. Herbes de Provence, a French blend of herbs that is available at most grocers combined with fresh thyme complements all the veggies quite nicely. It is also super healthy, as the recipe is basically just veggies, chicken broth and a bit of extra virgin olive oil. A dollop of Greek yogurt that's been combined with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt transforms this humble soup into a gourmet delight. A few Buttery Rosemary Croutons and a shower of freshly ground black pepper make for a beautiful presentation and add a nice crunch.

Roasted Tomato & Potato Soup w/ Herbes de Provence & Buttery Rosemary Croutons

Ingredients for the soup:
1 pound Compari tomatoes, halved
3 medium yellow potatoes, halved
4 medium carrots, sliced in half inch pieces
4 medium shallots, halved
2 medium onions, quartered
10-12 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons brown sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 med bay leaves
½ medium baguette, cut into approximately 3/4 inch squares

Ingredients for the yogurt topping:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

Ingredients for the croutons:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions for the soup:
1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.

2. Toss all vegetables and the fresh thyme on a large baking sheet with the sea salt, brown sugar, Herbes de Provence and olive oil. Place in preheated oven and roast until vegetables are tender and begin to turn golden brown, stirring about every 5 minutes. If you notice the thyme beginning  to get too brown before the veggies are finished, remove it. The veggies will take anywhere from 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Some of the veggies may char slightly; this is fine and part of the caramelization process.

3. In the meantime bring broth to a simmer in a large pot. Add bay leaves, cover and simmer gently while veggies are roasting.

4. When veggies have finished roasting, remove from oven and add to stock. Cover and gently simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

5. Remove bay leaves and puree soup with an immersion blender or with a regular blender until smooth and silky.

Directions for the yogurt topping:

1. Combine Greek yogurt, olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Serve soup topped with a dollop of this yogurt mixture and a small pile of croutons.

Directions for the croutons:
1. Place butter, olive oil, garlic powder and sea salt in a small baking pan. Place croutons in oven along with roasting veggies for 1 minute to melt the butter. Stir and add bread cubes, stirring to coat. Return to oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven, toss with the fresh rosemary and allow to cool.

PRINTABLE RECIPE