Description
Comforting roasted tomato soup with crispy gruyere toasts brings rustic French countryside flavors to your kitchen. Hearty ingredients blend seamlessly, creating a rich symphony of warmth and depth that invites you to savor each spoonful alongside golden, cheese-laden toast.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 2 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved (Roma or vine-ripened work best)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
Spices and Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, for depth)
- 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
- 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
Liquid and Dairy Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth for extra richness)
- 0.5 cups heavy cream (or coconut milk for a dairy-free version)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For Gruyere Toasts:
- 1 baguette, sliced
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Garnish:
- Fresh basil (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400F (200C), positioning the rack in the middle for even roasting.
- Spread tomatoes cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet, nestling whole onion and garlic cloves alongside them.
- Generously drizzle olive oil over the vegetables, then sprinkle with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and dried thyme, ensuring even coverage.
- Roast the vegetables for 35-40 minutes, allowing them to soften and develop rich caramelized edges.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a high-powered blender, carefully scraping all the flavorful pan drippings.
- Add vegetable broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes to the blender, then puree until completely smooth and velvety.
- Pour the blended soup into a medium saucepan, warming gently over medium heat and stirring occasionally.
- Incorporate heavy cream, tasting and adjusting seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Prepare the Gruyere toasts by switching the oven to broil setting.
- Slice baguette into diagonal pieces and brush each with melted butter, then sprinkle with garlic powder and cracked black pepper.
- Top each bread slice generously with shredded Gruyere cheese, arranging on a baking sheet.
- Broil the cheese-topped bread for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully until cheese melts and turns golden brown.
- Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls, garnishing with fresh torn basil leaves.
- Serve the crispy Gruyere toasts alongside the soup for dipping or placed directly on top.
Notes
- Roast tomatoes at a high temperature to caramelize their natural sugars, intensifying the soup’s deep, rich flavor profile.
- Use Roma or San Marzano tomatoes for the most concentrated and sweet roasted tomato taste, ensuring a robust base for the soup.
- Customize the heat level by adjusting red pepper flakes – start with a pinch for subtle warmth or add more for a spicier kick.
- Make the recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free bread and checking vegetable broth ingredients for potential wheat-based additives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg