Tomato, Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Tomato, basil soup has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. Same goes with grilled cheese. In order to put my lil' twist on this classic dish, I thought the best way to do it was to transform a plain, old grilled cheese into a crispy, tasty crouton. Below is my rendition of a childhood staple, turned up a bit. Hope you enjoy!

Tomato, Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Prep: 10 minutes / Time: 1 hour / Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

Soup

• 2 28 Oz. Cans San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes 
• 2 Medium White Onions, Chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Chicken Broth
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
• 1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tsp Granulated Garlic
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Pepper
• 3/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leave, Chopped
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Grilled Cheese Croutons

• 2-4 Slices of White Bread
• 2-4 Slices of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer)
• Butter

Directions:

Chop up the onions and mince the garlic. 

Heat butter and olive oil at the bottom of a pot over medium-high heat. Place onions and cook for 3-5 minutes. 

While the onions cook, open the cans of tomatoes. Place them into a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Leave the tomatoes and add garlic to onions. Cook for 2 minutes. 

Add chicken stock and pureed tomatoes to pot and stir. Add sugar, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and granulated garlic.

Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

While the soup cooks, chop up basil leaves.

Once the 20 minutes have passed, add basil and parmesan to the pot.

Let simmer, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Start on croutons.

 Place butter onto a pan over medium heat. Combine bread and cheese and cook on pan until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

With a 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter, carve out "croutons," each sandwich makes about 6.

The soup should be done by this point. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Place soup in bowls. 

Place croutons back onto pan and add a little more butter over medium heat. Cook croutons until nice and crisp, about 2-4 minutes. 

Garnish the soup with sliced basil leaves and accompany it with 3 to 4 grilled cheese croutons. Delicious and simple and perfect for the cold months to come.

Hope you enjoy!

Love,

Nicole