The Garden & Saucier
Roasted Garlic and Tomato Soup with Grilled Artisanal Cheese Croutons
The Strategy:
Warm your soul with this rich, roasted tomato soup infused with sweet roasted garlic. Served alongside crispy, buttery grilled cheese croutons made with artisanal bread, it is the ultimate gourmet comfort food combo. It is a beautiful, deep-flavored soup that is perfect for a chilly afternoon or a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 medium heads garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 3-pounds ripe plum tomatoes, about 12
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 quart homemade chicken stock, or prepared low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 slices 1-inch thick bread
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 ounces artisanal cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Cut the top third from the garlic bulbs.
- Place the bulbs onto a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Drizzle the cut side of the garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with oregano and some of the salt and pepper. Close the foil to make a packet, leaving a small opening at the top.
- Place the packet onto a baking dish, and roast until the cloves are soft, caramelized and coming out of their skins, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from the packet and cool to room temperature.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze the seeds from the centers.
- Place onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and more of the salt and pepper.
- Roast until the tomatoes are beginning to char, about 30 to 40 minutes. You can roast the tomatoes and garlic at the same time.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Sprinkle the onions with brown sugar and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot.
- Squeeze the garlic cloves into the pot.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat.
- Let the soup cool a bit. (If you put hot soup into a blender, it will blow the lid off when you pulse it!!)
- Use an immersion blender, food processor, or blender to puree the soup.
- Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cream.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.
- Place one slice of bread, butter-side-down into the skillet.
- Top the bread with cheese.
- Top the cheese with the second bread slice, butter side up.
- Flip the sandwich and cook for 2 minutes.
- Flip again and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Remove the sandwich to a cutting board.
- Cut into 9 equal squares.
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Float the croutons on top and garnish with fresh chives.
Farmers Market Tip
Just before summer gets into full swing, you’ll see green tendrils of garlic scapes right next to the spring onions at the booths in the farmer’s market. These are the flowering tippy tops of garlic bulb. The bud is removed in late June to encourage the bulbs to plump up. Scapes taste just like garlic, and they are delicious to eat! They can be used in exactly the same way as garlic in any recipe. If you are a garlic lover like I am, and you hit the market on just the right day, add a spoonful of chopped scapes to simmer in this soup.
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The Heart of the Table
A steaming bowl of tomato soup paired with golden grilled cheese croutons is the epitome of home-cooked comfort, instantly bringing back warm memories. The rich scent of roasted garlic and melting cheese draws everyone close, creating a relaxed, heartwarming mood at the table.
- a pair of professional-grade stainless steel locking kitchen tongs
- a flexible stainless steel slotted turner with a walnut handle
- a set of organic, hand-glazed stoneware soup bowls in a soft sage green
- a food processor for pureeing the soup
- a 5-quart enameled cast-iron soup pot with a tight-fitting lid
- an immersion blender for pureeing the soup
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Ladle the hot soup into deep stoneware bowls, floating a cluster of the crispy grilled cheese croutons in the center of each. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh chives.
- THE POUR: Pair the sweet tomatoes and rich cheese with a medium-bodied Chianti Classico served at 60°F, or a dry Sauvignon Blanc. For a non-alcoholic option, offer a hot, spiced apple cider served in a stoneware mug.
- THE VIBE: Evening Dining Room. Warm lighting and the comforting aroma of roasted tomato soup set a cozy, relaxed mood for dining.
