Tomato, Basil, and Cheddar Soup

By Addie

While I eat just about any variety of tomato soup now, my absolute favorite is Au Bon Pain’s Tomato Cheddar soup. Au Bon Pain soup was served in the cafeteria at my old company in Seattle and was a nice healthy alternative to the hamburgers that I was partial to. While I initially fell for the Potato and Leek soup, I found that the Tomato and Cheddar soup was a little bit of a healthier option.

The soups were on a rotating schedule, so the Tomato and Cheddar soup usually only made an appearance once a week. I swear, knowing that there was a yummy soup option in the cafeteria waiting for me at lunch just seemed to make the whole morning better. A good soup day was only surpassed by the cafeteria’s “International Week” where I might luck out one day by finding hummus and baba ganoush being served. These were accompanied by such diverse options such as Italian pepperoni pizza and Mexican beef tacos. Yes, the cafeteria certainly liked to branch out and introduce us to new foods during that week.

Er… but back to the tomato soup now. About a year ago, I swore to myself that I would try making a Tomato and Cheddar soup at home. Well, here we are a year later. But at least I finally did it! And yes, here I go again with the Greek yogurt…

Ingredients

• 2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped, loosely packed
• 2 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from morefruitplease.net

Preparation

Step 1

Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onion and allow to cook until tender, about three to four minutes. Add in chopped garlic and cook for an additional two minutes. Pour in the two cans of tomatoes (juice and all) and the vegetable stock. Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper. Place the lid back onto the pot and allow to simmer ten minutes. At the end, stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until well blended. Use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup if you prefer a smooth texture.

Garnish with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired. I’m partial to enjoying it with a grilled cheese sandwich to dunk in it. Or some buttered up crusty bread at the very minimum.