Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, in a large roasting pan/tray, on the stove over medium heat.

Add in the onions, garlic and cayenne pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions become translucent.

Add in the tomatoes, cut side down and season with salt, pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar.

Increase the heat to medium-high and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to caramelize.

Place the roasting pan in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven, placing the roasting pan back on the stove, over medium heat.

Add in the chicken stock, scraping up the delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the half and half and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

At this point you can use a stick blender to blend the soup to an almost smooth consistency. If you would like a chunkier, more rustic soup, simply use a potato masher and mash the tomatoes to your desired consistency.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some good fresh bread.