Phenomenal Phoods

Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Ingredients:

• Tomato Basil Soup
• 3 lbs Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-oz) can plum tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock or water
• Grilled Cheese Croutons
• 4 slices country white bread
• Butter (enough to spread on each slice of bread)
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced

Instructions:

1. Tomato Basil Soup:
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
3. In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock.
4. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and pulse until it is the texture you like. Season if needed and serve with the grilled cheese croutons.
6. Grilled Cheese Croutons:
7. The directions for this say to use a panini grill, but I don't have one so I just used a grill pan and pressed the sandwich down with another pan on top. Butter one side of each slice of bread and place cheese slices on the unbuttered sides. Grill the sandwiches, buttered sides down, for about 5 minutes until nicely browned. Let sit on a cutting board for about a minute before cutting into 1-inch squares. Serve with tomato soup.