Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic Parmesan Croutons

I don't know about you, but as far as I'm concerned the 50 degree weather is proof that winter is here. ;-) And that means SOUP!

And I don't mean to brag or anything, but I happen to think that this recipe gives Panera's Tomato Soup a run for its money. It's that good.

It's a delicious soup with roasted tomatoes because if you haven't been paying attention, you know how I like to roast vegetables. Check out these posts to catch up if you're interested: Roasted Pumpkin Puree, Garlic Roasted Asparagus, and Garlic Roasted Green Beans. And in the meantime, here's today's installment of deliciousness:

Roasted Tomato Soup

3 pints (6 cups) cherry tomatoes

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

1, 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tsp basil

1 cup whipping cream

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss ingredients to coat evenly. Spread on a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast tomatoes 35 minutes.
2. In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, basil, and roasted tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.
3. Using a food processor or hand held immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the cream. Without letting the soup boil, warm over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with Garlic Parmesan Croutons (recipe follows).

Garlic Parmesan Croutons

1 lb. French loaf, cubed

1/2 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. Parmesan

salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Puree garlic, Parmesan, and olive oil in a food processor.
3. Place the bread cubes in a mixing bowl and toss by hand with the mixture and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper.
4. Toss the bread cubes well with one hand and continue adding the mixture so that each cube is coated evenly. Be careful not to oversaturate the bread cubes.
5. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer.
6. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn with a spatula and return to the oven. Repeat after another 20 minutes. Continue to cook another 20 minutes. Croutons will be crispy and golden brown when finished.

And that's all there is to it! Both of these really are easy recipes, and they are delicious together. Perfect for warming you up on a chilly day!

Note: 

If your kids are not too keen on schmancy homemade croutons, they'll LOVE this soup with Goldfish crackers, I promise.

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