Should I use Winter tomatoes or wait til summer?

I rarely disagree with Lori and her advice. She’s usually spot on. And, in this case, I would agree that summer tomatoes are optimum.

But...I’ve also found that store bought plum tomatoes, when roasted, concentrate the tomato flavor, and sweeten to an extent I thought impossible in winter tomatoes. I say go for it, but use plum tomatoes which are meatier than other tomatoes.

Carve out the core, halve them lengthwise, drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast them for about 45 minutes to an hour in a 350-375 oven.

I would not bother even trying to do this with winter tomatos. Though I certainly can identify with the craving for this soup, it really does need the flavor of a summer ripened on the vine tomato. In fact, I prefer vine ripened heirloom types for it. For wintertime tomato soups, I rely on my own canned tomatos, and would recommend you do that as well. They do have fire roasted canned varieties, and while they do not have quite the same taste, they are far better than the "fresh" imitations on offer in the stores.