Tomato Soup with Toma Grilled Cheese Croutons
Serves 6
For the soup:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken work well)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste
For the croutons:
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken work well)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste
For the croutons:
4 slices sourdough bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces Point Reyes Toma, shredded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces Point Reyes Toma, shredded
In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and a pinch of salt, cooking onion until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and oregano, stirring for another couple of minutes. Add stock and tomatoes. Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Carefully puree soup with immersion blender or in a standing blender until smooth. Return soup to pot and season with salt and pepper. Keep hot on stove while you make the croutons.
Note: When blending hot liquid, remove the center cap from blender lid. Place a double-thickness of paper towels over open blender then replace blender lid on top. This will release steam without allowing soup to escape from the top. Start blender on low, and increase power, as needed.
Place slices of bread on a cutting board. Evenly spread butter on one side of each slice. Turn two slices over and top with Toma. Cover with remaining two slices, buttered side up
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Place sandwiches in the heated pan and cook until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook again until bottom slice of bread is brown and cheese is melted. Remove from pan to a cutting board and cut into one-inch cubes.
Serve soup hot in bowls with a few croutons on top.
