Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil and Pepperoni Rolls

An Ever Ready Special 

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Pepperoni Rolls

Cook's Notes: The tomato season is winding down and each day there are fewer to pick. These last ones looked terrific and were perfect for using Ina Garten's Roasted Tomato Basil Soup. Though mea culpa as I did tweak her recipe some. This recipe tastes better on the second day so flavors can meld.   The soup was served with West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls.

Ingredients:

• 6 large ripe tomatoes cut into large chunks 
• 1/4 cup +1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped sweet onions
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 (28 oz.) can of whole plum tomatoes, with juice or San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1-14 oz. can garlic, basil, and oregano crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed and torn
• 1 teaspoon each oregano and Italian seasoning
• 3 cups chicken stock, low sodium 
• 1/4 cup cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Gently toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and roast for 4o minutes.
• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until onions are translucent and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Last 3 minutes of sautéing add in minced garlic.
• Add in the 2 cans of canned tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano and Italian seasoning, roasted tomatoes, including the juices, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered. 
• In three batches puree in a blender. Return soup to pot and add in 1/4 cup cream, stir until mixed. 
• Serve with croutons and/or grated Parmesan cheese. 

 West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls

What Are West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls?

They are soft, pillow rolls of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. They were first made as a portable lunch for coal miners as the rolls didn't need refrigeration and could be carried with them underground. You'd have to work hard to not find pepperoni rolls when you're in West Virginia. They're on restaurant menus, at parties, and even served at gas stations. Outside of West Virginia, you'll be hard-pressed to find them, unless you make them. Pepperoni rolls are excellent on their own, warm from the oven with the garlic-herb buttery swipe. But if you want to make this a little more presentation-worthy, consider warming up some jarred marinara sauce and serving it as a dip for the rolls. If you have any leftovers, pop them into an airtight container or ziplock bag, and put them in the fridge. They'll last up to 5 days in the fridge, and you can reheat them easily in the microwave.

The recipe was adapted from Southern Living September 2023 and makes 12 servings.

 

Pepperoni Roll Ingredients

• 12 frozen dinner roll dough balls (such as Rhodes), thawed (from 1 [48-oz.] pkg.)
• 48  (3-in.) slices sandwich-style pepperoni (such as Boar’s Head or Hormel) 
• Thinly sliced mozzarella cheese or provolone
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Working in batches as needed, pat or roll each dough ball on a large piece of wax or parchment paper lightly floured into a 4 1/4- to 4 1/2-inch round. 

• Place 4 pepperoni slices in the middle of each dough round. Tear cheese into pieces, and arrange evenly over the pepperoni. Roll up dough jellyroll style; pinch ends and seams well to seal.

• Arrange dough, seam side down, 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush 2 tablespoons of the butter evenly over rolls and sprinkle with Bagel Seasoning.

• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.