Tomato soup with roasted peppers, garlic, onions and cheese croutons

Ingredients:

Tomato soup

• 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 heads of garlic, tops cut off to expose the cloves
• 2 large sweet red peppers
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (800–900 g) of canned fried tomatoes
• 2 cups passata or tomato sauce
• 1.5 tsp dried Provencal herbs
• A few leaves of fresh basil, torn

Hot cheese sandwich croutons

• Softened butter
• 4 slices of white bread
• 100 g Gruyere, thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.
2. Soup:
   
   Place the onions on a baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with thyme, salt, and pepper. Season the garlic with salt and pepper, then wrap the heads in foil to form a pouch. Bake the onions until soft and golden, 30 minutes, turning once. Bake the garlic until very soft, 35–40 minutes.
3. Roast the peppers over an open flame on a gas burner or in the oven using the grill setting (after the onions and garlic). Place the roasted peppers in a bowl, cover, and let cool. Remove the skins from the peppers with a towel. Remove the seeds and chop coarsely.
4. Once the garlic has cooled slightly, squeeze the cloves from their skins into the bowl of a food processor. Add the onion, garlic, pepper, broth, and tomatoes in two batches. Blend until smooth. Pour the puree into the saucepan along with the passata, sprinkle with herbes de Provence, and add basil. Reheat the soup and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool and refrigerate if making ahead.
5. Hot cheese sandwich croutons:
   
   To serve, reheat the soup over medium heat and heat the skillet over medium heat. Brush one side of the bread with softened butter. Make cheese sandwiches, buttered sides facing out. Toast the sandwiches until golden brown on each side. Cut the cubes into small squares. Serve the soup in shallow bowls, topping each serving with a few cheese croutons.