Tomato Soup With Cheesy Ghost Croutons Recipes

TOMATO SOUP WITH CHEESY GHOST CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots; cook and stir 3-5 minutes or until tender. Add red pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes., Meanwhile, place half-slices of bread 2 in. apart on two baking sheets lined with greased foil. Drape a quarter-slice of cheese over each piece. Cut olive slices to resemble eyes and mouths; top cheese with olive pieces. Bake until cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes. Cool slightly., Puree soup using an immersion blender. Or cool soup slightly and puree in batches in a blender. Return to pan and stir in pesto, salt and pepper; heat through. Divide soup evenly among five bowls. Top each with ghost croutons. Serve immediately.

CHEESY TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the soup: Heat the butter and olive oil in a braiser or shallow Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, thyme and oregano. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium high and add the tomato paste. Stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Pour in the tomato juice, stewed tomatoes and sugar. Bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• For the croutons: Meanwhile, drizzle both sides of each baguette slice with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until slightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• Add the heavy cream, Parmesan, pecorino and basil to the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• To serve, preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof bowls and put on a baking sheet. Place 2 croutons onto each bowl and top with a piece of the Cheddar. Broil the soups just long enough for the cheese to get bubbly and slightly toasted. Serve each bowl with a sprinkle of parsley.

TOMATO SOUP WITH PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat, then add onion, garlic, and carrots. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir it in, cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Add canned tomatoes with their juice, broth, and water. Stir together and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, longer if you have time. Use an immersion blender to puree, still leaving some texture to the tomatoes. Add cream, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil, and simmer for another 5 minutes. To make the croutons, drizzle crostini rounds lightly with olive oil. Place little piles of Parmesan in a nonstick skillet. Place a crostini round on top of each pile. Turn on the heat to medium. Press with a spatula as you melt the cheese into each round. When set, flip to the other side to toast. Serve soup with one or two croutons on top and a little bit of basil.NOTE: Recipe can easily be halved!

TOMATO CHEDDAR SOUP

Steps:

• HEAT oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add flour and stir for 1 minute longer. REMOVE from heat. Add tomatoes, crushing each into smaller pieces with your hand as you add. Add remaining liquid from can and stir tomatoes into onion mixture until well combined. Add chicken or vegetable broth, half-and-half or milk and thyme; stir together well. RETURN to heat and bring to boil. Adjust heat to maintain simmer, cover pot and cook soup for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to be sure nothing is sticking to bottom of pot. REMOVE from heat. Remove and discard thyme stems. Add cheese a handful at a time, stirring each time until cheese is melted. PUREE soup in blender in two batches until smooth. Return to pot. Season with salt and pepper. PLACE over medium-high heat and stir until heated through. Serve topped with additional grated cheddar, plus garlic croutons if desired. NOTE: Freezing unused portions in airtight containers is recommended for this recipe. To thaw, leave the container in the refrigerator overnight until thawed and warm gently, stirring often, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.