Cheesesoupwithpumpernickelcroutons Recipes

BLOODY MARY SOUP WITH PUMPERNICKEL GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat the EVOO over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the thyme, lemon zest, garlic, celery and onions. Season the vegetables with the celery salt and black pepper. Cook the vegetables to tender, then deglaze with the vodka. Add the spicy tomato juice, stock, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire and canned tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer to thicken and combine flavors, about 30 minutes. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over medium heat.
• To serve, while the soup warms up, butter 8 slices of the bread on one side. Build the sandwiches with the Cheddar slices, buttered sides facing out. Griddle or grill the sandwiches over medium heat until deeply crispy and the cheese melts. Using a serrated knife, cut each sandwich into nine 1-inch croutons.
• Stir the lemon juice into the hot soup just before serving. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls, then sprinkle with the parsley and top with the croutons.

TOMATO SOUP WITH GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and onion and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth, diced tomatoes with their liquid, tomato sauce, Parmesan rind and 1/4 cup of the basil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
• In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Whisk in the flour and continue to cook, whisking, until the mixture is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add the cream mixture to the soup and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup has thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until foamy. Place 2 of the bread slices in the skillet; top each bread slice with 2 cheese slices, 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil and another bread slice. Cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Cut each sandwich into 9 pieces.
• Serve the soup with the grilled cheese croutons and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup basil.