Creamy Tomato Soup with Crusty Cheese Bread

One tradition I kept from my family was sering some sort of soup on Christmas Eve.  There is something heart-warming and cozy about a big bowl of soup.  This year, I made a Creamy Tomato Soup served with Crusty Cheese Bread.  I took a shortcut and bought the bread (a Ciabatta loaf from the grocery store).  Aaron told me it was one of the best soups he's ever tasted, so this will become a regular recipe in our household (and it is SO easy)!

Soup Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 Can (28 oz) Crushed Tomatoes or 2 Large Chopped Tomatoes
2 Cups Chicken Broth (Sodium-Free)
2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil (or 2 tsp. Dried Basil)
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Light Cream

Bread Ingredients:
1/2 of a Ciabatta Loaf, cut into 1" slices
Olive Oil
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheese (I used Mexi-Blend, but could use Cheddar, Swiss, or whatever you'd like)

Directions:

1.  Preheat Oven to 325 degrees.
2.  Over medium heat, in large saucepan, combine butter, minced garlic, tomatoes, and broth.  Once soup begins to bowl, turn heat to low.
3.  Over low heat, stir in basil, pepper, and light cream.  Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.  Meanwhile, place bread slices on a baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle olive oil over each slice.  Top with garlic powder and shredded cheese.
5.  Bake bread slices for 7-9 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Serve a bread slice with a bowl of soup immediately and Enjoy!!

For freezing, divide soup into two large freezer bags.  Once at room temperature, cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cold, put soup into a second freezer bag (better safe than sorry with freezer burn) and be sure to label and date the soup (I include the date I made it and the "eat by" date).  Freeze up to 3 months.
To reheat, dip the bag into hot water for 5 minutes.  Then, put soup into stockpot.  Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until hot, stirring occasionally.

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