Quick tomato cream soup with cheese croutons

Ingredients:

Soup

• 2 packages of 450 ml chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can (800 g) of canned concentrated crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 20 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, for serving
• Croutons for serving, see recipe below

Toast

• 4 slices of rustic bread with crust 10 cm wide, 0.5 cm thick.
• 2 crushed garlic cloves, optional
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 220 g of grated cheese, such as provolone, Asiago, cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss, etc.

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium heat. When the soup comes to a boil, stir in the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
2. Blend the soup with an immersion blender. Serve in deep bowls, sprinkled with basil and garnished with croutons.
   
   Garlic croutons with cheese:
   
   Toast the bread slices in a toaster until golden brown. Rub the toasts with crushed garlic, if using. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle each slice with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and grated cheese. Place in the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and the croutons are golden brown.