Is there something wrong with me that I like the weather we're having here today? It's rainy and sleety (if that's a word), raw, and cold, and I just love it. I'll take this weather over a sunny, 85 degree July day any day of the week.

But we do need some things to help us get through these days, and soup is one of those things. Soup is good food and all that (I would put hot chocolate, a blanket, and a good book on that list too). This recipe is from the Cooking For 2 blog, and it's for Roasted Red Tomato Soup. It's pretty easy to make and seems both soothing and hearty.

It's red, so maybe this would be a good Valentine's Day meal for you and yours.

Roasted Red Tomato Soup

1 1/2 lbs. fresh tomatoes (I use vine, plum and cherry), halved
3 cloves garlic
1 small yellow onion, halved
Salt and pepper
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 c chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 T butter
1/3 c heavy cream
2 T sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions on the pan. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle olive oil over the veggies. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes.

Dump the roasted veggies into a large saucepan. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf and butter and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and (carefully!) pour the concoction into the blender. Puree until smooth. If you have a small blender, do it in batches.

Pour the soup back into the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream and sugar. Cook on low for 10 minutes. Season with a bit more salt and pepper. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.

(Note: If you like a smoother soup experience, either remove the seeds from the tomatoes before roasting or run the soup through a mesh sieve after the blender step.)