Served up for lunch or dinner, this is a rustic tomato soup with carrots, garlic and herbs and served with crunchy homemade Parmesan croutons.
Directions for: Tomato Soup with Parmesan Croutons
Ingredients
Soup1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp grater
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 (28-oz) cans whole tomatoes
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced
cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Croutonsbaguette, sliced into rounds
Olive oil, for drizzling
cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Soup1. In a large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, garlic and onions and stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, broth, parsley and 1 cup water and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture, still leaving some texture to the tomatoes. Add the cream, basil and some salt and pepper, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Croutons1. For the croutons: Drizzle the baguette rounds lightly with olive oil. Place little piles of Parmesan in a nonstick skillet. Place a baguette round on top of each pile. Turn on the heat to medium. Press with a spatula as you melt the cheese into each round. When set, flip to the other side to toast.
2. Serve the soup with 1 or 2 croutons on top.
See more: Soup, Appetizer, Comfort Food, Dinner, Lunch, Tomatoes, Vegetables