Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Sweet-Bread Croutons

My first taste of tomato soup was from a can, and to say that I was unimpressed would be a monumental understatement. The bland flavor and homogenous, runny texture certainly wasn’t for me. As I got older, I learned that tomato soup doesn’t have to be this way. My version uses fresh tomatoes and garlic, leafy green basil, a touch of vodka (optional), a few simple seasonings and my favorite ingredient in the world – heavy cream.

Oh, and this tomato basil soup is topped with toasted sweet-bread croutons and freshly shredded parmesan cheese. The croutons have a delicate texture that holds up surprisingly well with the soup, a sweet taste and subtle hint of saltiness. They are utterly delicious, and the perfect complement to creamy tomato basil soup!

What is Portuguese sweet-bread?

Portuguese sweet bread (also known as massa sovada or pão doce) is an airy, sweet bread – very similar in taste and texture to Challah bread or brioche. It’s commonly sold in rolls, although bigger loaves also exist.

Portuguese sweet rolls are one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast with a cup of hot tea and lots of butter. I’m not quite sure what moved me to use Portuguese sweet-rolls as croutons, but the idea popped into my head one day and it worked!

Ingredients for this creamy tomato basil soup recipe:

• 3 pounds of fresh tomatoes: Campari tomatoes are one of my favorites because of their sweet flavor and non-mealy texture. If you can’t find Campari tomatoes, Roma or vine-ripened tomatoes also work well.
• 6-ounce can of tomato paste
• Aromatics: 2 heads of fresh garlic and 1 medium-sized onion
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling the tomatoes and garlic
• 6 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons of vodka (optional) for that delicious vodka-sauce flavor
• The leafiest basil you can find-look for dark green leaves
• Seasonings: kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for topping
• 3 Portuguese sweet rolls to make the most delicious croutons!

How to make this creamy roasted tomato basil soup recipe

1. Roast the tomatoes and garlic

Rinse and cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them on 2 large foil-lined baking sheets. Try to keep the tomatoes slightly spaced apart to allow some room for the juices to run off while roasting. Drizzle the tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle them with a few pinches of salt and some fresh-cracked black pepper.

Prepare the garlic for roasting by leaving the entire heads of garlic in their casings, and cutting the top of each head off. Drizzle the exposed parts with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil each. Wrap each head in foil and make room for them on each baking sheet.

Roast the tomatoes and garlic at 425°F for 30-40 minutes. The tomatoes will become slightly charred around the edges and the juices will pool around each tomato. The garlic will become soft and golden in color and the cloves may start to rise out of their casings.

2. Puree the tomatoes and garlic

Remove each of the roasted garlic cloves from their casings and transfer them with the tomatoes to a food processor. Cover the food processor bowl and puree on high speed for 1 full minute. Set aside.

• 

• 

3. Prepare the soup

In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the cubed butter over medium heat. Add the onions to the pot and cook them until they’re soft and translucent. Add the tomato paste, garlic powder and onion powder and cook for about 1 minute. Stir every few seconds while the tomato paste cooks.

If you’re using vodka, add it now and let the alcohol cook off (this takes about 1-2 minutes). Now add the pureed tomatoes and garlic, chicken broth, sugar and heavy cream. Give the pot a stir, and bring to a simmer.

Once the pot starts to simmer, lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer over a very low flame for 25-30 minutes. You can stir the pot occasionally.

4. Prepare the sweet-bread croutons

While the soup simmers, adjust your oven temperature to 350°F. Split the sweet-bread rolls horizontally and cut each half into three-quarter inch sized cubes. Transfer the bread cubes to a large, clean baking sheet and spread them out in an even layer. Drizzle the bread cubes with extra virgin olive oil (go easy as sweet-bread can become saturated if you’re not careful!) and sprinkle them with a few pinches of kosher salt and pepper.

• 

• 

• 

Bake the croutons in the oven until they’re golden brown (10-15 minutes) and then remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.

5. Add the remaining ingredients to the soup

Give the basil a rough chop and set it aside. Once the soup has simmered for a full 25 minutes, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of cold butter and stir until fully melted. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

• 

• 

Stir in the fresh basil, cover the pot again and let the soup simmer for just 5 minutes more. Turn the flame off and let the soup sit for an additional 5-10 minutes.

6. Garnish and serve!

Give the soup a final stir, and ladle it into bowls. Garnish each bowl of soup with a few sweet-bread croutons, a sprinkle of finely-shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and some fresh-cracked black pepper.

Print

Recipe Rating