Description
A comforting and playful tomato soup recipe served with melted white cheese ghost-shaped toasts, perfect for a cozy meal or a festive occasion.
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced small
- 2 carrots, diced small
- 2 stalks celery, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 12 whole peppercorns, optional (for ghost faces)
Ghost Toasts
- 2 slices white bread
- 3 ounces white cheese (Gruyere, Cheddar, Jack, or Swiss), cut into 4 slices
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Simmer Soup: Add the canned diced tomatoes and chicken stock to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare Ghost Toasts: While the soup simmers, use a cookie cutter or scissors to cut the bread slices into ghost shapes. Cut cheese slices to match the ghost shapes. Place the bread ghosts on an oven-safe tray, top them with the cheese, and use 3 peppercorns on each to create eyes and a mouth. Toast these in a toaster oven until the cheese melts. Alternatively, broil about 4 inches below the broiler element for 2 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
- Blend Soup: Carefully puree the soup in a blender in two batches until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the whipping cream, then season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Heat gently until hot. Serve the soup in bowls topped with the melted ghost toasts.
Notes
- Use a sturdy cookie cutter or kitchen scissors to make neat ghost shapes.
- If you prefer a vegetarian version, substitute chicken stock with vegetable broth.
- The peppercorns for the ghost faces are optional and can be omitted for small children to avoid choking hazards.
- Any mild white melting cheese like Gruyere, Cheddar, Jack, or Swiss works well.
- To make the soup vegan, omit cream and use plant-based milk or cream alternatives and vegetable stock.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
