Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Make the soup: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the olive oil and butter together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Add the salt, pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes, sugar, tomatoes and their juices, vegetable stock, and basil. Bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the basil sprig, then use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, ladle the soup into a standing blender, working in batches, and blend until smooth.

Add the heavy cream to the soup, cover, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until warmed through.

Make the croutons: On a cutting board, butter both sides of each slice of bread. Lay the cheese on 2 of the bread slices. Top with the other slices of bread, creating a sandwich.

Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Once the pan is warm, add the sandwiches and cook until golden brown on the underside, 2–3 minutes. Flip the sandwiches over and continue cooking until the other side golden brown and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the grilled cheese sandwiches to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch croutons.

Serve the tomato soup topped with the grilled cheese croutons.

Enjoy!