Tomato Basil Soup in Puff Pastry

I made this tomato basil soup recipe upon a recommendation from a friend.  I’d also wanted to try a Cream of Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry recipe from a great book my Mom purchased for me called, Soup’s On!  In this recipe, tomato soup is put into small crocks and then covered with puff pastry, baked until a small dome of dough puffs up on top of the crock.  The recipe for the Cream of Tomato Soup looked a little bland for my tastes, so I used the puff pastry idea with a Tomato Basil Soup recipe from The Food Network.  Here’s the combination of both recipes plus a few small alterations. 

Tomato Basil Soup in Puff Pastry

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes cut in half lengthwise

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice

4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 quart chicken stock or water
1 lb puff pastry dough
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet (covered with foil for easy clean-up) and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. 

Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock.  Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade, a blender, or food processor.  Taste for seasonings.

Let soup cool a bit and pour into oven-safe crocks.  Roll out the puff pastry to ¼ inch thick.  Cut out rounds slightly larger than your crocks.  In a small bowl, beat together the egg with 1 tablespoon cold water.  Use a brush to pain the dough with the egg wash and then turn the circles, egg wash-side down, over the tops of the cups, pulling lightly on the sides to make the dough somewhat tight like a drum (Try not to allow the dough to touch the soup).  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Lightly paint the top of the dough rounds with egg wash without pushing the dough down.  Bake until the dough is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.  Do not open the oven in the first several minutes of cooking, as the dough may fall.  Serve immediately.