EASY TOMATO SOUP AND GARLIC BREADSTICKS

Easy Tomato Soup and Garlic Breadsticks image

I can always count on homemade tomato soup and garlic breadsticks to make me feel all warm and cozy. My easy garlic breadsticks are pillowy on the inside, golden brown and buttery on the outside-so good that you may never make a yeast-risen breadstick again! Serve this tomato soup for an afterschool snack or easy lunch.

Provided by Dan Langan

Time 35m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup Greek yogurt (whole-milk or fat-free)
1 tablespoon olive oil or softened unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 small onion, chopped
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 clove garlic, finely grated
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodium
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (whole-milk or fat-free)
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
Generous pinch fine salt
2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Small bunch fresh basil, optional
For the breadsticks: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with nonstick spray.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl, w. Add the yogurt and oil and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the surface is smooth and the dough is homogeneous, 1 to 2 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, knead in an additional tablespoon of flour at a time. Flatten into a disk and divide into 8 wedges.
Lightly spray your work surface and hands with nonstick cooking spray to make rolling easier. Roll each wedge into a 6-inch rope and place on the sheet pan, spacing the breadsticks evenly apart.
Bake in the upper third of the oven until springy to the touch and golden, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan front to back halfway through. Switch the oven to broil and broil until desired level of golden brown is achieved, 30 to 60 seconds. This will happen quickly! Remove the breadsticks from the oven.
While the breadsticks bake, prepare the soup: Melt the butter (or heat the oil) in a medium Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and a few pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are coated and a fiery orange color, about 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions, allowing the flour to cook for about 1 minute.
Toss the garlic into the onions and immediately add the tomatoes and their juice, the broth, yogurt and sugar if using. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender, blend until smooth, then pour into a large heatproof bowl. Return the blended soup to the Dutch oven.)
Reduce to a simmer, check for seasoning and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, while the breadsticks finish baking.
Finish the breadsticks: Place the butter, garlic and salt in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts and the garlic just begins to sizzle. Immediately remove from the heat (don't allow the garlic to brown) and brush the garlic butter over the just-baked breadsticks and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Serve the breadsticks with the soup, garnishing the soup with torn basil leaves, if desired.