Description
Ina Garten’s easy tomato soup delights with rich, roasted flavors and crispy grilled cheese croutons. Comfort classics merge for a delicious meal you’ll savor with pure culinary satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 x 800 g (28 oz) tin crushed tomatoes, San Marzano recommended
- 450 g (1 lb) chopped yellow onions (about 2 large onions)
- 1 liter (4 cups) chicken stock, homemade preferred
- 115 g (4 oz) Gruyère cheese, grated
- 4 slices thick country-style white bread
- 120 ml (½ cup) double cream
- 75 g (2.6 oz) orzo pasta
- 3 tbsps good quality olive oil
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- Large pinch saffron threads
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Aromatic Foundation: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Gently sauté onions for 15 minutes until golden, then introduce minced garlic and cook for one minute to release its fragrant essence.
- Soup Construction: Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, saffron threads, sea salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
- Pasta Integration: Cook orzo in salted water, drain, and fold into the simmering soup. This technique ensures the pasta absorbs the rich, layered flavors of the tomato base.
- Creamy Transformation: Incorporate double cream, returning the mixture to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring carefully to prevent any scorching and to create a luxurious, silky texture.
- Grilled Cheese Crouton Preparation: Preheat sandwich press or panini grill. Brush bread slices with melted butter, layer with Gruyère cheese, and grill until achieving a golden, crisp exterior.
- Final Composition: Slice grilled cheese into precise cubes. Ladle the steaming soup into bowls and artfully scatter the crispy croutons across the surface, creating a textural and visual masterpiece.
Notes
- Caramelize Onions Carefully: Take time to slowly cook onions until golden brown, releasing their natural sweetness and developing a rich flavor base for the soup.
- Pasta Texture Matters: Cook orzo slightly under al dente since it will continue softening in the hot soup, preventing mushy pasta.
- Cream Addition Technique: Stir cream gently and avoid boiling to maintain smooth texture and prevent separation or curdling.
- Grilled Cheese Crouton Tip: Use room temperature butter for easier spreading and ensure even, crispy browning on sandwich surfaces.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg