CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP WITH SOUFFLéED CHEESE TOASTS

Cream of Tomato Soup with Souffléed Cheese Toasts image

Provided by Deborah Madison

Yield about 6 cups

Number Of Ingredients 18

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2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled between your fingers
Pinch of ground cloves
2 tablespoons flour
Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes in puree or juice
Pinch of baking soda
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 1/2 cups milk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Tomato paste if needed
1 egg, separated, or 1 egg white only
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of cayenne
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon minced scallion or shallot
4 slices sandwich bread, lightly toasted

Steps:

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, basil, and cloves; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is limp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, then add the tomatoes, baking soda, and stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Let cool briefly, then puree in a blender until smooth
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Return the soup to the pot, add the milk, and season with salt. If the soup is too thick, thin it with additional milk or stock. If the tomato flavor isn't as rich as you'd like (if the tomatoes were packed in water instead of puree), deepen it by stirring in a little tomato paste.
3. For the toasts, combine the yolk, if you're using it, with the mustard and cayenne, then stir in the cheese. Whisk the white until it holds soft peaks and fold it into the mixture along with the scallion. Spread the mixture on the toasted bread and bake until puffed and golden, about 5 minutes, while you reheat the soup. Serve the soup piping hot, with a piece of cheese toast, cut in half on the diagonal, and fresh pepper ground into each bowl.