Weather: rain puddles and two moose in the yard
What I’m listening to: Dancing in the Minefields, Andrew Peterson
This first week of school has brought a distinct chill in the air and some rather heavy rains. It has been perfect soup weather. But, I still wanted to give a couple of final nods to summer with the bright flavors of tomato and basil, especially since I know a great many of my readers are still experiencing sweltering heat and plentiful gardens.
One of my kids’ favorite meals is grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup for dipping (and let’s be honest – mom and dad are fans, too). I have long been fond of the combination of tomato soup and cheddar. I knew when I saw this recipe on Foodgawker that it would be my first soup of the season.
Why had I never thought to incorporate cheddar into the soup itself? It’s genius, really. A perfect match. I was also intrigued by the use of yogurt for creaminess instead of cream. And, I couldn’t forget to add a “grilled cheese” element to the meal (for the kids, of course… wink, wink), so I decided on garlic cheese toasts on homemade french bread. Now that’s mmm, mmm good.
Tomato Cheddar Soup with Cheese Toasts
Soup adapted from [More Fruit Please| http://morefruitplease.net/2012/04/23/tomato-basil-and-cheddar-soup/]
Yields: 6-8 servings
- For the Soup:
- 2 (28-oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2T olive oil
- 2c chicken broth
- 1c plain yogurt (or plain Greek yogurt)
- 1c cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2c basil, chopped, loosely packed
- 2t sugar
- pinch of red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- salt and pepper to taste
- For Cheese Toasts:
- 1 loaf french bread, sliced
- olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, sliced in half
- cheddar cheese, grated
!For the Soup:
To a soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Saute onions until tender, 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the cans of tomatoes (including juice) and the chicken broth. Stir in the basil, sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Turn off heat and stir in the cheddar and yogurt until combined. Using an immersion blender or standard blender (working in batched, holding down the lid with a kitchen towel to prevent hot soup splatter), blend the soup until smooth.
Garnish with grated cheddar and basil. Serve with garlic cheese toasts.
!For Cheese Toasts:
Turn broiler on high. Place bread slices on a sheet pan. Rub french bread slices with the raw end of your garlic. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil. Toast 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Top with grated cheddar. Return to broiler until cheddar is melted and bubbly.
