Cream Of Tomato With Croutons Recipe

Prep

Gather and measure all soup ingredients. Finely chop the onion and dice the carrot; mince the garlic.

Sweat aromatics

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted and foaming, add the chopped onion and diced carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and carrot softens, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, careful not to brown.

Add tomato components

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly, which deepens flavor. Add the crushed tomatoes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Simmer

Pour in the broth, add the sugar, dried basil, dried oregano and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 20–25 minutes to allow flavors to meld and carrots to fully soften.

Blend until smooth

Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until very smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a countertop blender and puree until smooth, returning each batch to the pot.

Finish with cream

Stir in the heavy cream and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer over low heat; do not boil. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adjusting to preference. If the soup tastes too acidic, add up to an additional 1/2 tsp sugar, taste again.

Keep warm

Keep the soup over the lowest heat, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve. If the soup is too thick, thin with up to 1/2 cup additional broth or water to reach desired consistency.

Preheat and toss

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt. Toss until cubes are evenly coated. If using Parmesan, toss it with the bread cubes as well.

Bake

Spread the coated bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10–14 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan once halfway through, until croutons are golden brown and crisp.

Cool

Remove croutons from the oven and let cool on the sheet for a few minutes; they will crisp further as they cool. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Ladle the warm cream of tomato soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a generous handful of croutons and a few chiffonade basil leaves. Optionally drizzle a teaspoon of extra cream or olive oil on top and finish with a grind of black pepper.