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
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.
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.
Remove the bay leaves.
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.
Place oven-safe ramekins on a baking sheet. Ladle tomato soup into each ramekin, filling nearly to the brim.
Cut the baguette into thin slices and arrange over soup, covering the top of each ramekin. Top the bread with handfuls of shredded cheddar
Place under broiler until cheese begins to bubble and turn golden, about 4-6 minutes.
Allow soup to cool slightly. Then use oven mitts to place (piping hot!) ramekins on plates, and serve.