30-Minute Tomato Soup Au Gratin
Author: 
 
An easy, 30-minute homemade tomato soup topped with crusty bread and cheddar, then broiled until the cheese is melted and golden. Healthy comfort food!

Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Easy
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ small onion, diced
  • 2 medium celery stalks, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or substitute organic honey or granulated sugar)
  • 42 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups organic vegetable broth
  • ½ baguette, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces shredded organic cheddar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until veggies are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
  2. Add the thyme, agave, tomatoes and broth. Stir until well combined and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to High and partially cover until soup begins to boil. Then reduce heat to a light simmer. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Remove the bay leaves.
  4. Optional: pour the soup into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Or skip this step to leave bites of diced veggies in the soup.
  5. Place oven-safe ramekins on a baking sheet. Ladle tomato soup into each ramekin, filling nearly to the brim.
  6. Cut the baguette into thin slices and arrange over soup, covering the top of each ramekin. Top the bread with handfuls of shredded cheddar
  7. Place under broiler until cheese begins to bubble and turn golden, about 4-6 minutes.
  8. Allow soup to cool slightly. Then use oven mitts to place (piping hot!) ramekins on plates, and serve.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 4 Calories: 363 Fat: 9.6g Saturated fat: 3.5g Carbohydrates: 46.3g Sugar: 13.5g Sodium: 1088mg Fiber: 5.3g Protein: 24.3g Cholesterol: 12mg
Recipe by Jen Elizabeth's Journals at https://jenelizabethsjournals.com/2017/03/27/30-minute-tomato-soup-au-gratin/