Recipe: Tomato Soup With Brown Butter Croutons

Serves 6.

Note: "When I was a kid and my mom made tomato soup, she would cut buttered toast into squares and float them on top of each bowl," writes Tom Douglas in "The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook." "My twist on Mom's toast is to make brown butter croutons."

For croutons:

• 4-in. chunk (4 slices, about 5 to 6 oz.) ­rustic bread

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For soup:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, smashed with side of a knife and peeled

• 5 c. (about two 28-oz. cans) canned whole tomatoes in juice

• 1 c. water

• 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/4 tsp. celery seed

• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano (or 1/2 tsp. freshly chopped oregano)

Directions

To prepare croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a serrated knife, cut off and discard bread crusts, and cut bread into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes.

In a small pan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring often, until butter is golden brown and aromatic, about 3 minutes after butter melts. Remove from heat.

Place bread cubes in a medium bowl and pour butter over them, tossing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss again.

To prepare soup: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes (and juice from tomatoes), water, cream, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, celery seed, oregano and sugar. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and purée in batches in blender (or use an immersion blender). Return soup to pot and reheat to a simmer, seasoning to taste with more salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and serve hot, garnished with croutons.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Note: "Instead of Beecher's Flagship, you can substitute white Cheddar or regular Cheddar cheese," writes Tom Douglas in "The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook." "Beecher's Flagship is slightly crumbly, so it makes sense to grate it. If your cheese is firmer, you can, if you prefer, slice it thin instead." (The cheese is available at Lunds & Byerlys, Kowalski's Markets, Jerry's Foods and other local supermarkets; order online at beechershandmadecheese.com). Douglas added that the bakery uses a potato loaf for this sandwich. "You can use any rustic bread as long as it doesn't have large holes," he wrote. "Otherwise the cheese will seep through the holes and stick to the pan."

• 1 large ripe avocado

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Lemon or lime wedge

• 8 slices rustic bread (approximately 4- by 6-in.), cut about 1/2 in. thick, divided

• 4 to 6 tbsp. (1/2 to 3/4 stick) butter, at room temperature

Directions

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until golden and crisp on both sides. Remove bacon from pan, drain on paper towels and reserve.

Cut avocado in half, remove pit and scoop out avocado flesh. Transfer avocado to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a squirt of lemon or lime, and reserve.

Place 8 bread slices on a work surface and generously spread one side of each slice with some butter. Turn bread over so unbuttered slices are facing up. Top 4 slices of bread with grated cheese, evenly covering entire surface of bread slice and dividing cheese equally among 4 slices. Spread other unbuttered slices of bread with mashed avocado, dividing it evenly, then top avocado with 2 slices of bacon. Press a cheese-topped bread slice and an avocado/bacon-topped bread slice together, with the fillings on the insides and the buttered sides facing out. You will have 4 sandwiches.