Smoky Tomato Soup With Gruyere Toasts

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
• 3 1/2 lbs tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 thyme, sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 8 baguette, slices cut 1/4 inch thick on the bias
• 2 ounces gruyere cheese, coarsely grated, about 3/4 c

Recipe

• 1 in a soup pot, melt the butter in the oil. add the onion and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. add the paprika and cook until it gets fragrant, about 30 seconds. add the tomatoes, water, thyme and bay leaf, then season with salt and pepper to taste. bring to a boil. cover and simmer until the tomatoes start breaking down, about 15 minutes. discard the thyme sprig and bay leaf.
• 2 preheat the broiler. in a blender, puree the soup in batches. strain the soup back into the pot - pressing on the solids (use a strainer with larger holes. this just separates out the bits of tomato skin/seeds that didn't blend.) stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper again, to taste.
• 3 meanwhile, put the baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil 6 inches away from the heat until lightly toasted on both sides, about 2 minutes total. top the toasts with the gruyere and broil for about 30 seconds more, until the cheese gets bubbly.
• 4 ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the gruyere toasts. enjoy!