Smoky Tomato Soup With Gruyere Toasts Food

SMOKY TOMATO SOUP WITH GRUYERE TOASTS

Steps:

• In a soup pot, melt the butter in the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cook until it gets fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, water, thyme and bay leaf, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes start breaking down, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig and bay leaf.
• Preheat the broiler. In a blender, puree the soup in batches. Strain the soup back into the pot - pressing on the solids (use a strainer with larger holes. This just separates out the bits of tomato skin/seeds that didn't blend.) Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper again, to taste.
• Meanwhile, put the baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil 6 inches away from the heat until lightly toasted on both sides, about 2 minutes total. top the toasts with the Gruyere and broil for about 30 seconds more, until the cheese gets bubbly.
• ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the Gruyere toasts. Enjoy!

SMOKY TOMATO SOUP WITH MINI GRILLED CHEESE AND BACON SAMMIES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a soup pot over med-high heat; add in the chopped bacon; cook until crisp, 2-3 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the crispy bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve for the mini grilled cheese and bacon sammies.
• To the same pot, add the garlic, onions, celery, and carrots; season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
• Scoop the veggies into a food processor, add about 1/2 cup chicken stock and the marjoram, and puree until smooth.
• Return the pureed veggies to the pot, place back over med-high heat, and add the remaining chicken stock, crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, sugar, and the smoked paprika; bring up to a bubble, stir in the cream, and keep warm over low heat while you make the sammies.
• Heat some butter in a big skillet over medium heat.
• While the butter is melting, lay 8 of the bread slices on a cutting board.
• Top each one with a slice of cheese, a sprinkle of the reserved bacon, some chives, and another slice of bread.
• Transfer 4 of the mini sammies to the hot skillet and cook until the sandwich is toasted on both sides and the cheese is melted; repeat with the remaining 4 sammies.
• Serve the smoky tomato soup with some popcorn floating on top and the mini grilled cheese and bacon sammies on the side.