Cold Tomato Thyme Soup With Grilled Garlic Croutons Recipes

Steps:

• 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!

Steps:

• Mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, onion, garlic, and bread crumbs in a medium glass bowl. Add the vinegar, stock, thyme, and 12 of the basil leaves. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate 12 hours in the refrigerator.
• Puree the mixture, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. If too acidic (and this will depend on the tomatoes you've used), add a little honey.
• Serve cold with the remaining basil leaves shredded and scattered over top along with some croutons, if using.

Steps:

• Put tomatoes and garlic in a non-reactive bowl and sprinkle with salt. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, the black pepper and cayenne. Mix well and leave to macerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour.
• Pulse tomatoes in a food processor or blender until just crushed. Transfer to a strainer or food mill to remove skins and seeds, pressing well to obtain all the juices. You should have about 5 cups. Add enough ice water to yield 6 cups. Stir well, taste and adjust seasoning. Chill on a bowl of ice for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to several hours.
• Make the pepper relish about 30 minutes before serving: Put diced bell peppers and onions in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, mix well and set aside.
• To serve, rub each toast lightly with garlic. Top toasts with thick slices of avocado and season with salt and pepper. Place an avocado toast in each bowl and ladle in about 1 cup of chilled soup per serving. Garnish with a generous spoonful of pepper relish and a sprinkling of parsley and chives.