Fresh Tomato Soup with Crispy Cheese Toast

1 . Stage

Prepare the tomato soup: Remove cores from tomatoes and cut in half crosswise. Reserve until needed.

2 . Stage

Heat butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and anchovy and cook until garlic is sizzling in the hot fat, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Carefully add tomatoes with their juices, salt, and red pepper flakes. Toss with a spoon every few minutes until tomatoes release their liquid and start to break down.

3 . Stage

Once tomatoes have softened and started to collapse, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have fallen apart and the soup resembles a coarse tomato sauce, about 45 minutes.

4 . Stage

Meanwhile, prepare the cheese toast: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone liner. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.

5 . Stage

Place bread slices on the prepared baking sheet. Top each slice with sliced basil, and then Cheddar cheese.

6 . Stage

Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is well browned and crispy around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

7 . Stage

Remove soup from heat and pass through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Use the back of a ladle to push all the tomato mixture through. Discard the skins and seeds, which should be the only things left in the strainer.

8 . Stage

Transfer the strained tomato soup back into the saucepan and place back over medium-low heat. Continue cooking to thicken slightly, if desired, or simply bring back to a simmer and serve immediately with the cheese toasts.