Roasted yellow tomato and pepper soup

By accidental fortune, we have an amazing crop of yellow tomatoes this year. We've enjoyed a surfeit of tomato sandwiches, toasted or otherwise, and have had sides of sliced tomatoes with just about every meal for several weeks now. I've experimented with yellow tomato pasta sauce (may post that recipe one day), and today, as I've got a hankering for soup, I've created "Roasted yellow tomato and pepper soup". It provides some sunny warmth to a not-so-warm fall day.

Roasted Yellow Tomato and Pepper Soup

2+ tbs olive oil

8-10 med. sized yellow tomatoes

1 yellow pepper

1-2 green onions, chopped and reserving 1 tbs for garnish

3 med. sized shallots

1 tsp paprika

1 bay leaf

1 tbs maple syrup

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheet with foil and spray foil lightly with olive oil. Halve and seed tomatoes (I find it easier to remove the small stem core at this time too). Place tomatoes cut side down on foil. On a separate, foil-lined and sprayed sheet, place seeded and sliced strips of yellow pepper, insides facing up. Spray both the tomatoes and the peppers liberally with olive oil. Place in pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes, turning pans around half way through. Meanwhile, peel and coarsely chop shallots. In large saucepan, saute shallots in 2 tbs olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add paprika and continue cooking for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

  

Once tomatoes and peppers are roasted (skins should be slightly blackened), remove from oven. Immediately cover the tomatoes with saran wrap (clingfilm) and let the steam continue to loosen the skins (takes about 10 minutes). Add the peppers to the sauce pan. Remove and discard skins from tomatoes. Add remaining pulp and liquid to sauce pan, along with bay leaf, chopped green onion, chicken broth, and maple syrup. Bring to low boil and let simmer 20 min. Remove bay leaf. Use stickblender to puree. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with a dollop of heavy cream and a sprinkling of reserved green onion.