Name: Cream of Tomato Soup with Souffléed Cheese Toasts
Yield: about 6 cups
Ingredients: 2 1/2 tablespoons butter; 1 small onion, chopped; 1 celery rib, chopped; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled between your fingers; Pinch of ground cloves; 2 tablespoons flour; Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes in puree or juice; Pinch of baking soda; 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water; 1 1/2 cups milk; Sea salt and freshly ground pepper; Tomato paste if needed; 1 egg, separated, or 1 egg white only; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; Pinch of cayenne; 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese; 1 teaspoon minced scallion or shallot; 4 slices sandwich bread, lightly toasted

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Cream of Tomato Soup with Souffléed Cheese ToastsCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

This quick soup, an American classic, makes a fine pairing with a grilled cheese sandwich or crisp romaine salad. Here the grilled cheese sandwich takes a different form—a souffléed Cheddar topping on a good piece of toasted sandwich bread. Use an organic brand of tomatoes, one that's thick with puree as well as chunks of tomato.