Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with garlic, shallots, thyme, olive oil, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer everything into a non reactive shallow baking pan and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, until everything is softened and the tomatoes have broken down. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Make sure to squeeze the garlic from their papery shells.

When the soup has cooled, transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to a medium sized pot and add 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Warm gently. You could add some cream to the pot if you want to make the soup more rich, but chicken stock works. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if you wish

Serve ladled into bowls and topped with minced green onion and/or bacon if you wish!