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Tomato Soup and Cheese Toast
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5 from 6 votes

Creamy Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic Cheesy Toast

Our weeknight-friendly Creamy Tomato Soup is a favorite of kids and adults alike. Canned and sun-dried tomatoes give it loads of flavor, along with fresh herbs and a creamy swirl of Mascarpone cheese. Instead of plain old grilled cheese, we've paired it with the most delicious and buttery Roasted Garlic Cheesy Toast.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cheese, comfort food, soup, Tomatoes
Author: Emily Clifton, Nerds with Knives

Ingredients

For Creamy Tomato Soup

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
  • 2 medium yellow onions chopped (1 pound; 455g))
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1/2 cup (55g) roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil
  • 1/4 cup (30g) all purpose flour
  • 6 cups (1.4L) homemade or boxed low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 28oz (830ml) cans whole peeled or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon (20g) honey
  • 2 teaspoons (1.5g) fresh thyme leaves (or 1 scant teaspoon dried)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 6 tablespoons 3oz (85g) Mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, chives, or dill, optional for garnish

For Roasted Garlic Cheesy Toast

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
  • 2 heads garlic
  • 1 cup 4oz (115g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup 4oz (115g) grated gruyere cheese
  • 3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3g) kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1g) freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 crusty baguette loaf cut on a sharp angle, into 12 slices (about 1 1/2-inch thick)
  • 2 tablespoons (.5g) chopped parsley, basil or chives

Instructions

For Soup:

  • In an enameled (non-reactive) 5- to 6-quart soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium heat until butter foams. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent but not brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, canned tomatoes (crush lightly with spoon if using whole), honey, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool briefly and then purée with a stick blender, or in two or three batches in a standing blender or food processor. Return soup to the pot, if necessary, and turn heat to low. Add mascarpone cheese and stir until melted and fully incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For garlic toast:

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with foil or parchment. Remove loose papery outer skin from garlic bulbs, but don’t separate cloves. Cut off top of garlic bulbs, exposing ends of individual cloves. Place both heads of garlic, cut side up, onto a square of foil and drizzle with a half tablespoon of oil on each. Tightly cinch up the foil and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until heads are light brown and very soft. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
  • Squish roasted cloves out of the skins into a medium bowl. Add cheeses, butter, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
  • Switch oven to broil and place rack 5 to 6 inches from heat. Evenly spread the cheese mixture onto bread slices. Place slices on lined tray, cheese-side up and broil until cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven, scatter with herbs and serve with soup.

Notes

In a sealed nonreactive container, tomato soup will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
Tried this recipe?Mention @NerdsWithKnives or tag #nerdswithknives!