Tomato Soup au Gratin

Hear me out.  Tomato Soup is pure comfort food.  The classic side to this soup is a grilled cheese sandwich, at least as far as my childhood goes.

So… this is what happens when we mash up the soup and the sandwich, a la French Onion Soup! Au Gratin is the chi-chi French way of saying ‘to grill or broil with bread(crumbs) and/or cheese till golden and bubbling.’  And this is exactly what we are doing here.  But instead of calling it French Onion Tomato Soup, which can be misleading, I am just using the French term for the method of topping, in this case a bowl of classic tomato soup.

Tomato Soup

The recipe I am sharing here is a variation of the Cream of Aleppo Roasted Tomato Soup in my cookbook, check it out here! It’s a popular recipe that totally evokes childhood. Cozy vibes for sure. I’ve simplified the flavour profile, and replaced the creme fraiche with cottage cheese (for protein) but of course, you could use heavy cream to finish the soup with. Roasting the tomatoes with the onions, garlic and herbs intensifies the tomato flavour, making it the perfect way to enjoy this soup, even in the middle of January.

Roasting brings the perfect caramelization to all the ingredients.  These will then be added to a stock pot with chicken or vegetable stock or broth, tomato paste, bay leaves and a smidge of butter (feel free to replace this with olive oil). Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary stocks. Blend (either with a stand blender or an immersion blender) till velvety smooth or you are happy with the consistency. If you are using the cottage cheese, you will add it in with everything to be blended.  If you are using cream or creme fraiche, stir it through at the end once the soup is back in the pot.  At this point you can also add in a bit more stock if you find it too thick.

Croutons and Cheese

For the topping you will use stale sourdough or thick sliced bread.  Cut or tear a large slice (per person, use two slices if they are smaller) with you fingers into bite sized croutons.  Add them to a skillet and brown them in olive oil and Italian seasoning.  Once golden burnished remove the croutons to a bowl. Don’t over cook them, you don’t want them rock hard.

For the cheese topping, I favour a combo of marbled Cheddar cheese and mozzarella. They mimic a classic grilled cheese sandwich from my youth. Of course, use your favourite cheeses. I wouldn’t use too aged or dry a cheese, as they really don’t melt that well.  You really are going for optimum cheese pull here!  If you can, avoid using the pre-shredded cheeses, they are coated with corn starch to keep from sticking together, which will inhibit their ability to melt under the broiler.

Fill and oven proof bowl with the soup, top with a good layer of croutons, and then add a copious amount of shredded cheese (the more the better!)  Place your bowl(s) onto a baking sheet for easy transporting, and place under the broiler.  Keep an eye on the cheese.  Once it is golden and bubbling, they are ready to pull out.  Each oven is different, so don’t walk away. Finish with a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves if you are so inclined.

Final Thoughts

That’s it! Really quite easy.  You can make the soup in advance, it keeps well in the fridge for a few days.  You can even shred the cheeses and store in an airtight container.  The same goes for the croutons.  While the soup is warming up on the stove top, you can remove the croutons and cheeses from the fridge to come to room temperature.

You can keep this entire meal vegetarian by using a vegetable stock. This Tomato Soup Gratinee can also be vegan with a few switches, with the cheeses and using a non-milk cream.

This is a soup that the whole family will enjoy, all through the winter months, just the thing to warm up with after shoveling the snow, or walking home from school on a windy day.

If you make this cozy and rustic Tomato Soup au Gratin, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.

Love Jen

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Tomato Soup au Gratin

What happens when you take a bowl of rustic tomato soup and top it with the classic grilled cheese sandwich, but as croutons and shredded cheese? You get the best version of this soup yet. Taking the method of a classic French Onion Soup and translating it into this North American classic creates a new cozy meal, perfect as lunch or dinner.

Course Soup

Cuisine North American

Keyword au gratin, tomato soup

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 kg 2 1/2 lb Roma or plum tomatoes
• 1 medium Yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic peeled
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper, or red chilli flakes
• 3-4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese, see Notes
• 4 or more large slices of sourdough bread, thickly cut, crusts trimmed off
• 1-2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1-2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3-4 cups freshly shredded Marble Cheddar cheese and melting Mozzarella, see Notes
• Thyme sprigs for garnish

Instructions

Tomato Soup

1. Preheat the oven to 450F

2. Quarter the tomatoes and spread them out on a baking sheet. Scatter the onions, garlic, and rosemary around the tomatoes. Drizzle with 4 tbsp olive oil and toss to combine. Arrange in a single layer (use two baking sheets if necessary) Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chili Aleppo pepper or chili flakes. Roast until wonderfully caramelized, about 40 minutes.

3. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a stock pot. Add 3 cups of stock, the tomato paste, bay leaves and butter or oil. Heat over medium high heat till a rolling simmer begins. Drop the heat to medium low, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
4. Discard the bay leaves and rosemary stocks. Carefully transfer the contents to a stand blender (blend in batches if necessary (with a towel covering the lid) and blend till velvety smooth. If you are using the cottage cheese, add it to the blender at the same time. You can also use an immersion blender, just take the pot off the heat first. If using heavy cream or creme fraiche, add it after the soup is blended. Add a bit more stock if you find it on the thick side. Taste and re-season as desired. Keep the soup warm on low temperature till ready to assemble.

Topping

1. Cut or tear the bread into bite sized pieces. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches if needed, add the torn bread as well as the Italian seasoning. Toss everything in the oil to coat the bread, and sauté until golden with crispy edges, but not hard. Remove the croutons to a bowl till ready to assemble.

Assemble

1. Place oven-proof soup bowls onto a baking sheet for easy transfer. Fill the bowls with the warm soup. Top with croutons. Then layer the shredded cheeses over the croutons. The more the better!
2. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheeses are bubbling and golden brown. Finish with thyme leaves.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to replace the cottage cheese with heavy cream or creme fraiche. I like using cottage cheese for the extra protein, and you really don't taste it!
I suggest marble cheddar cheeses and mozzarella, to mimic a classic grilled cheese flavour. Use your favourite cheeses. Just make sure they melt easily.