Growing up, my family’s pantry could have been a standing advertisement for Campbell’s Soup. It was the only brand of soup my mother bought, and we had at least twenty cans stacked on the shelf at any given time. I would devour a big bowl of their creamy tomato soup along with a crunchy, gooey grilled cheese on the side weekly.
While those are fond memories for me, it’s fairly simple to make classic tomato soup homemade. My own personal twist for this recipe–which I’m pretty darn proud of–are mini-grilled cheese crouton bites. How delicious do those sound to dip in your bowl of warm, rich soup? Pretty good, if you ask the little girl in me!
FOR THE SOUP
Ingredients (makes 4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
- 2 large tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes, or until translucent. Add the carrots and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Carefully move the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot.
Note: If you do not have fresh tomatoes, you can use one 28-ounce can diced tomatoes and decrease the stock to 1 cup.
FOR THE GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS
Ingredients (makes 25 croutons)
- Butter, for the pan
- 4 slices bread (any type you prefer: whole wheat sandwich, French baguette . . .)
- 4 packaged slices Cheddar cheese
Directions
Butter a skillet and heat it over medium heat.
Sandwich 2 slices of cheese between 2 slices of bread and place in the hot skillet. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until the bread is browned and the cheese is melted. Repeat with the remaining bread and cheese.
Cut each sandwich into 12 pieces and serve with the Tomato Soup.
Note: For crunchier croutons, place the sandwich cubes on a baking sheet and bake them for 5 minutes in a 400 degrees Fahrenheit oven.
Both recipes from Weelicious Lunches.
