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1
Special equipment: an immersion blender
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2
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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3
Place the tomatoes cut-side up in a single layer on the baking sheet.
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4
Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the sugar.
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5
Scatter the thyme sprigs over the tomatoes.
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6
Roast until the tomatoes are wrinkled and soft, about 1 hour.
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7
Let cool until cool enough to handle.
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8
Discard the thyme sprigs.
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9
Gently peel off and discard the tomato skins.
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10
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
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11
Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions start to lightly brown around the edges, about 3 minutes.
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12
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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13
Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock and bay leaf and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
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14
Reduce the heat to low, add the cream and chopped basil and simmer for 5 more minutes.
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15
Remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.
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16
Season to taste with about 2 teaspoons salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
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17
When ready to serve, top with a drizzle of chile-infused oil and garnish with some basil leaves.
