Tomato Soup And Grilled Cheese 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:

• 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. Yield: 4 to 6 servings
• Note: The Grilled Cheese Crouton recipe was halved for the taping of this episode.