Creamy Tomato Soup with Asiago and Black Pepper Frico
 
 
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
Soup:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil (see notes)
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ teaspoons sea salt, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with basil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
Frico:
  • 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the soup:
  1. In a large pot, warm olive oil and sun-dried tomato oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, chili flakes and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 6-8 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes with juice, crushing with your hands as you add them, and 1 can water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add 1 teaspoon thyme and cook, partially covered, for 1½ hours.
  3. Add remaining salt and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove soup from heat, discard bay leaves and purée. Stir in heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the frico:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. In a small bowl, combine Asiago cheese and pepper.
  4. Drop heaping tablespoons of cheese onto the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart, creating 12 mounds. Spread each mound evenly to a 2½" round.
  5. Bake cheese until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and slide parchment paper with frico onto a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Whenever I buy sun-dried tomatoes in oil, I always hold on to the oil after I've used up the tomatoes to cook with or use in homemade salad dressing. If you don't have it handy, simply use more olive oil.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/creamy-tomato-soup-with-asiago-and-black-pepper-frico/