Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

I was so eager for tomato season to arrive and now I have more than I know what to do with. Slow roasted tomatoes are my favorite because they are so versatile and delicious and are the perfect base for tomato soup. I've combined several recipes for this soup, taking what I think are the best ingredients and techniques from each. I hope you will give it a try.

A grilled cheese sandwich and steamy bowl of tomato soup are a classic combo. Who doesn't love this! I used a good sandwich loaf and slices of Tillamook Cheddar Cheese to make cheese sandwiches and, after they were grilled, I cut them into crouton size cubes. Serve a plate of croutons along with the bowls of soup so they can be added as you go. You can scoop up a warm spoonful of soup with just the right amount of cheesy crouton included.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

• 3 pounds fresh tomatoes, cut in half, stems removed
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups sliced onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and salt. Spread tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In a large stockpot saute the onions over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, basil and chicken stock. Add the tomatoes, including any liquids that accumulated during roasting. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Blend with an immersion blender or let the soup cool a bit and blend in a food processor till you achieve the desired consistency. Add cream, heat and serve with a big bowl of grilled cheese croutons.

I used my slow roasted tomato recipe for this pot of soup and I was very happy with the results. Slow roasting produces an intense tomato flavor that works very well in soups. You can find this recipe here. While the cheese sandwiches were grilling I pressed on them with my spatula so the crouton was a bit denser than the sandwich and didn't absorb the soup quite so quickly.

I'm sending this recipe to Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday. Stop by for a visit and join in the fun.