Back in college, I skipped the dining hall for most meals. I worked a lot so it wasn’t completely because of the food. There was one meal every week I was certain not to miss. Tuesday lunch was always grilled cheese and tomato soup. Everyone went to the dining hall for grilled cheese. It was just the thing to do. While it never lived up to my dad’s grilled cheese and Campbell’s, it was as close as I was going to get without driving 60 miles.

It was wonderful, buttery bread with the thickest slices of american cheese, and creamy tomato soup. This was a weekly occurrence until I joined the vegetarian co-op where we cooked our own foods. I had been missing out on real tomato soup. Every week we still had grilled cheese and tomato soup, but the tomato soup was on a totally different level. Also, there was always different cheeses to pick from. This is where I learned to make real tomato soup and real tomato soup needs red peppers.

Tomato soup is really food for the soul. It’s good for you and tastes great. Tomato soup makes a great meatless meal, which let’s face it, we can all benefit from a meat free meal once a week. After having made my own I can tell you there’s no excuse. If you use canned tomatoes and roasted red peppers the entire prep takes barely 20 minutes. Seriously, why are people still eating Campbell’s? Even with the roasting it would only make it an hour. Seriously you should be making your own! It’s not hard, so let’s get to it.

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Bisque

• 2 1/2 lbs tomatoes
• 3 red peppers
• Olive oil (for drizzle)
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Drizzle the olive oil on the foil so the veggies don’t stick. Slice tomatoes and red peppers in half (remove pith and seeds from peppers) and place sliced side down on a lined cookie sheet and roast 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool to the touch (you don’t have to let them cool completely, just enough so you don’t burn yourself when you peel them). Remove the skins and the stem scars, set aside.

In a large pan (I used my “all purpose” pan), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and celery, sautéing until translucent. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Bring it to a simmer and add the salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and red pepper, and their roasting juices (don’t worry about chopping them). Sauté until the tomatoes they start to fall apart. Pour the soup into a heat-safe container and top with the cream. Blend with the immersion blender until smooth.

Serve with a crusty grilled cheese sandwich.