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.
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.
*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.