It was my wonderful Dad who taught me the joy of double-dipping a gooey grilled cheese sandwich into a big bowl of creamy tomato soup. Yum!
Now that I’m all grown-up, I often skip the grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy this thick hearty soup with a sprinkling of raw cheese, fresh basil and a handful of homemade crunchy garlic-herb croutons. (Okay, to be honest, it might be closer to two handfuls of the croutons, because they are pretty much irresistible in this soup!)
And regardless of whether you pair it with grilled cheese or croutons, this classic soup makes a delicious hearty lunch, or a super easy, yet satisfying dinner!
Creamy Tomato Soup with Garlic-Herb Croutons (GF, DF)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp organic tomato paste
- 1 28-oz. can organic tomato purée
- 2 cups homemade chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup pure coconut milk
- Garlic-Herb Croutons (recipe follows)
- Fresh organic basil
- Shredded grassfed cheddar cheese (omit if DF)
To Garnish:
Instructions
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, add the olive oil and chopped onion. Sauté until soft and translucent (about 4-5 minutes). Then, add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste, until onions are well coated. Then, add the tomato purée, chicken stock, dried herbs, honey, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and allow soup to gently simmer for 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender (or blender or food processor), puree the soup until smooth.
- Return soup to the stockpot and set over low heat. Whisk in the coconut milk and re-season to taste with additional sea salt and pepper.
- Remove stockpot from heat and ladle into serving bowls.
- P.S. This soup is even better the next day after the flavors have further melded, so be sure to save any leftovers!
- In a small bowl, combine equal parts of melted butter and olive oil. Lightly brush both sides of your favorite sliced GF bread with the butter-olive oil mixture.
- Then, lightly sprinkle both sides with sea salt, garlic powder and dried parsley (or Italian Herb seasoning).
- Next, cube the bread and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 20-35 minutes, until the croutons are lightly brown and hard. Allow to cool completely.
- Store croutons in an airtight container in freezer for up to one month.
For the Soup:
For an extra special treat, top this hearty soup with a handful of homemade Garlic-Herb Croutons. They're super easy to make ...