Simple tomato soup with roasted vegetables and cheese toasts

Ingredients:

Soup

• Olive oil to drizzle
• 10-12 fresh sprigs of thyme
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 10 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 red bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
• 1 red jalapeño, halved lengthwise
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions (do not defrost)
• 3-4 cups of vegetable broth

Toasts

• 4 slices of white bread
• 4 slices American cheese

Preparation:

1. Soup: Preheat oven to 200°C.
   
   Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil. Spray the foil with a little olive oil using a zig-zag motion. Add the thyme and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place the tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeños cut-side down on a baking sheet, covering the garlic cloves and thyme. Scatter the onions on top, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper again. Bake until the onions are golden, about 40 minutes.
3. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and blend in several batches until smooth.
4. Pour the soup into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Add broth to the soup to achieve the desired consistency; you may not need all of it. Keep the soup on low heat.
5. Toasts: Preheat oven to grill mode.
   
   Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and place the bread on the rack. Top each piece of bread with a slice of cheese and place them in the oven under the broiler. Watch the toasts closely as they cook: as soon as the cheese melts and starts bubbling, remove them immediately! This should take less than a minute. Serve the toasts on their own or over a bowl of soup.