Best Tomato Parmesan Soup With Grilled Cheese Croutons Recipes

Easy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Croutons image

Provided by Ina Garten

Time 50m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

3 tablespoons good olive oil
3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
Large pinch of saffron threads
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup orzo
1/2 cup heavy cream
Grilled Cheese Croutons, recipe follows
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices country white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Steps:

In a large pot or Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve hot with Grilled Cheese Croutons scattered on top.
Heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter, being sure to butter the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyere on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyere, buttered sides up.
Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons image

Provided by Valerie Bertinelli

Categories main-dish

Time 1h

Yield 4 main-dish servings (10 appetizer servings)

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium white onion, diced
4 cups chicken broth
Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with their liquid
One 10-ounce can tomato sauce
1 Parmesan rind
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
4 soft white bread slices
4 American cheese slices

Steps:

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and onion and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth, diced tomatoes with their liquid, tomato sauce, Parmesan rind and 1/4 cup of the basil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Whisk in the flour and continue to cook, whisking, until the mixture is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add the cream mixture to the soup and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup has thickened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until foamy. Place 2 of the bread slices in the skillet; top each bread slice with 2 cheese slices, 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil and another bread slice. Cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Cut each sandwich into 9 pieces.
Serve the soup with the grilled cheese croutons and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup basil.