Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Cheesy Garlic Croutons

Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich is a classic well-loved combo. Sometimes that’s all you need! But, if you want to make it a little “extra”, try this version! Basically, it’s tomato basil soup topped with my favorite part of a French onion soup (hint, it’s the cheesy toasted topping).

Before we get right to the recipe, there are just a few things I want to mention:

1. Basil stems. DON’T THROW THEM AWAY! They have flavor, too! As long as they aren’t too woody, just chop them up and use them in the soup.

2. My recipe calls for a chopped fennel bulb and two roasted red peppers, which are not common ingredients in a tomato basil soup. But don’t worry - they don’t make the soup fennel-y or bell pepper-y at all; they just add some depth of flavor. (It’s basically my “Awesome Sauce” recipe in soup form).

3. I highly recommend investing in an immersion blender, if you don’t have one already. You can find some pretty inexpensive ones these days, so it isn’t even that much of an investment. To me, it’s worth it not having to transfer the contents of the pot to a blender, making sure to blend it safely (since it’s hot), then transferring it back to the pot.

4. If you’re vegetarian, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

5. This soup thickens as it cools, so either serve it immediately, or have some extra broth on hand to thin it if needed. If you have a bunch left over, freeze it or use it later on some pasta, sprinkle it with Parmesan, and call it a day.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the soup:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped shallots or yellow onions

1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 15-oz. cans of diced tomatoes (undrained)

2 roasted red peppers, chopped

2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed (reserve any tender basil stems)

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the croutons:

12 1-inch thick slices of French baguette

1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole

1+ cup shredded gouda cheese

1+ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the shallot and fennel in olive oil until slightly brown. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, roasted red peppers, stock, and basil stems. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot, then reduce heat to low, still maintaining a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the baguette slices on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for a couple of minutes to cool and crisp up a little further. Slice off a very thin sliver of the garlic clove, and rub the cut side of the larger piece onto the top of each slice of bread. Then, cut each slice into bite-sized pieces.

Once the soup has simmered for the 30 minutes, add the basil leaves then blend the soup until smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a traditional blender, working in batches if needed, making sure to allow air flow through the vent of the lid.

Add the heavy cream and heat, uncovered, about 10 more minutes. Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Set the oven to broil, and move the oven rack to the second highest position.

Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, top with croutons, then pile both cheeses on top. Place the bowls onto a baking sheet, and broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Serve immediately. Don’t forget to warn your diners that the bowl is HOT!