Tomato Soup with Garlic Cheddar Toasts

 serves 4 Cook Up Comfort 6 points stovetop

2 t unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
3 minced garlic cloves + 2 halved garlic cloves
1 28 oz can San Marzano peeled tomatoes, tomatoes chopped, juice reserved
1 ½ c chicken broth
1 t brown sugar
¼ t salt, or to taste
1/8 t red pepper flakes, or to taste
¼ c reduced fat cream (neufatchel) cheese
8 small slices Ciabatta bread (about 4 oz)
½ c shredded red-fat sharp cheddar
¼ c sliced fresh basil leaves or 1 T fresh thyme leaves

Tomato Soup with Garlic Cheddar Toasts
1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook, stirring occasionally , until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.
2. Add minced garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and juice, broth, brown sugar, salt, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Remove from heat. Puree soup in pot with handheld immersion blender, or let cool 5 minutes and blend in small batches in blender. Add a little more chicken broth or water if soup is very thick.
4. Preheat broiler. Place ciabatta on baking sheet and broil 6” from heat source, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven and rub toasted bread with halved garlic cloves. Sprinkle each slice with 1 T Cheddar. Broil toasts until cheese melts, about 30 seconds.
5. Ladle soup evenly into 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 T basil and serve with toasts on the side, or dice toasts and place on top like croutons.