Take advantage of the tomato deluge now and make lunch

Check out your grocery store right about now because I’ll bet you’ll find gorgeous tomatoes everywhere. Roma tomatoes are a bargain this time of year, and they are ideal for cooking in all sorts of recipes. Full of vitamin C and A, as well as lycopene, tomatoes are a healthy buy, too.

There is nothing better than a creamy tomato soup made from fresh summer tomatoes. Today’s recipe “Creamy” Tomato Soup takes advantage of the roma tomato deluge and makes lunch. Since the tomatoes are more flavorful this time of year, I merely flash-roast them — about 10 or so minutes will do the

There is nothing better than a creamy tomato soup made from fresh summer tomatoes.

trick — which keeps the oven use down to a minimum. (Sometimes, I grill them, uncut, instead, but I’ll confess that’s a bit messier.)

And my trick for creating that luscious pale-paprika-orange color that usually comes from a hefty dose of cream? Carrot! I cut up a large carrot (or two medium ones) and roast it right alongside the tomatoes, and it adds just enough yellow tone to give the tomato soup a “creamy” look.

Plus, the sugar in the carrot boosts the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. I add a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar, a couple fresh basil leaves from the garden, blend it all up, and the result is deep tomato flavor, perfectly balanced.

A drizzle of the best quality olive oil you own, just before eating will take this easy-to-make soup to the next level. Don’t let the simplicity of the recipe fool you: the flavors marry perfectly. Load up on those roma tomatoes, give them a quick roast and you’ll have a perfect summer soup on the table in no time.

MELISSA D’ARABIAN VIA AP “Creamy” tomato soup