Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheesy Crouton Topper

We all love French onion soup for its cheesy toast topper, so why not give more soups the same craveable treatment? A pot of tomato soup practically begs for it — a cap of cheesy croutons is just a reimagined grilled cheese, after all. Here, you’ll make a hands-off oven-roasted tomato soup, pile on homemade croutons and grated cheese, then broil until the bread is extra crispy and the cheese is melted. It’s an easy, all-in-one vegetarian meal you’ll want to cozy up to all winter long. By the time we start craving warm bowls of tomato soup, tomato season is a distant memory. That’s why the best tomato soups start with canned tomatoes. Here, you’ll roast a can of whole peeled tomatoes with onion, garlic, fresh thyme, butter, olive oil, and red pepper flakes until it’s bubbling and thickened and the aromatics have softened. Not only does this concentrate the tomatoes’ sweetness and intensify its flavor, but it also means you’re not stuck standing over the stove as it simmers.

Roasting the soup also gives you time to prepare the star of the show: the croutons. Tear half a loaf of sourdough into irregularly-shaped pieces (this will ensure they have craggy crispy, craggy edges), toss with melted butter and Italian seasoning, then bake until golden. When the soup is ready, pile on the cheese, croutons, and more cheese. Because the croutons are already baked, it only takes a minute under the broiler to melt the cheese and finish the dish. With each bite, the cheese continues to melt into the soup and the bread softens, giving you crispy-creamy deliciousness until you’ve scraped the bowl clean.

Ingredients:

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 small yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus leaves for garnish
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 firmly packed cup freshly grated or 1/3 cup store-bought)
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
• 8 ounces crusty sourdough bread
• 1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar