Tomato Basil Soup with Pesto Ciabatta Croutons
Say so-long to store bought soup with this Tomato Basil Soup with Pesto Ciabatta Croutons. Made simple by using canned tomatoes and made extra delicious with roasted garlic. A quick vegan recipe loaded with fresh flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil separated
- 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
- 2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes unsalted
- 1 cup broth
- salt & pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes optional
- 2 cups fresh basil roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 2 cups pesto ciabatta croutons*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the top of the garlic head off so that all of the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic on a piece of foil and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over it. Firmly wrap foil around the garlic.
- Place the garlic in the oven** and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Press garlic cloves out of their skins into the pot. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes (or until onions become translucent).
- Slowly pour tomatoes and broth into the pan and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil to the pot.
- Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender*** and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Pour back into the pot and allow to continue cooking for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve soup with a dollop of pesto and a handful of pesto ciabatta croutons.
Notes
*You can get the Pesto Ciabatta Croutons recipe here.
**I place my foil-wrapped garlic directly on the oven rack, but you can use a baking sheet also.
***You can also use an immersion blender.