Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

I have seen this recipe all over the internet, each with it's own variation. I decided to use the one from Spoonful because it incorporated roasted tomatoes, which I love. I think it gives the soup much more depth of flavor roasting the tomatoes first. This particular instance of soup making also inspired us (my roommates and I) to purchase an immersion blender. There was a slight instance with a piece of the original blender getting sucked into the hot soup and a minor choking instance, but that's neither here nor there. From now on, I will only blend with the immersion when making soup. Oopsey.

Minus the *almost* choking incident, this soup is bomb.com and I would definitely recommend trying it while we're still in tundra season. 

Ingredients:

• 6 cups (3 pints) cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400°. On a baking sheet toss the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they are slightly shriveled about 40 minutes. 

In a large soup pot, melt the butter with the remaining 1 tbs olive oil over medium/high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute an additional 2 minutes, careful not to burn the garlic. Add the roasted tomatoes (including the accumulated juices),the canned tomatoes, chicken broth and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. 

Using a blender, errrr, immersion blender OR a food processor if you have one, blend all the ingredients until smooth. I like to leave it *slightly* chunky, just so it has that homemade texture, but the consistency is up to you. Return soup to the pot and stir in the cream. Warm the soup without boiling until hot. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. 

Garnish the soup with grilled cheese croutons (I made my grilled cheese with thick white bread and sharp cheddar, then cut up into cubes)