Look up "Gardenweb roasted tomato soup recipe" - it's delicious.

Beth, your recipe' sounds very delicious to me, wit all the herbs, spices, garlic, fresh chili pepper ...

Roasting can add a smokey flavor to it. I like that.

Sey

Beth,

Mixing in a fire-roasted red bell pepper or two into tomato soup extends a smoky and earthy flavor to tomato soup. I also roast the garlic in olive oil first until there's a nice browning, if not slight char. Then, take whole tomatoes into a hot pan with olive oil to cook down/reduce, and throw in the red bell peppers, garlic, a few slivers of raw onions, if you like them, and cook thoroughly for 5 minutes. Then, pour in a few cups of chicken broth (or any stock you have on hand), boil for another 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and throw the whole thing into your mixer. Top with a dash of heavy cream and purée for a good minute or two at gradually increasing power.

Once you pour your soup into a bowl, garnish with some basil and sprinkle lightly with some Parmesan or feta cheese, some fried bacon and Maldon or fleur de sel finishing salt. :-)

That sounds wonderful. I am a minimalist with my tomato soup. Here is my recipe, which I heard on NPR a decade ago from a chef who was on.

1/2 c olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic (optional, this is my addition)
4 lbs tomatoes chopped ( no need to remove seeds/skins)
salt to taste

Sweat onion in olive oil until translucent (try not to brown). Sweat garlic until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook 15 minutes until broken down. Put through a food mill, or blend and strain. Looks like Campbell's, tastes like heaven!

Good served with basil oil, or grilled cheese sandwiches.