Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Writer and Photographer Francine Coles
Do you remember the comforting feeling you experienced while eating Campbell’s tomato soup with grilled cheese for lunch as a kid? Well, here is an elevated, more adult version of that classic combo. This roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons is sure to warm you up on a cold winter day!
Serves: 10–12
Ingredients
For the Roasted Tomato Soup:
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 dried bay leaf
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
For the Grilled Cheese Croutons:
4 slices white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 slices cheddar cheese
Directions
For the soup, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Strain tomatoes, reserving their juices, in a medium bowl. Spread strained tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.
While the tomatoes are roasting, in a large soup pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic, cooking until softened, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat.
Over high heat, add then roasted tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and puree the soup (using a handheld or countertop blender) until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and chopped basil.
For the croutons, spread butter on both sides of bread slices. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and place two slices in the pan. Top each with one slice of cheese and place the remaining bread slices on the cheese. Cook for 2 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Flip and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Remove from pan and allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting into 1-inch squares. Sprinkle a small handful on each bowl of soup, serve and enjoy!
