Two cups of tomato soup from the pantry, a can or fresh tomatoes if you have them, while golden croutons do double duty as the thickener and the bread course. This is a weeknight standard that needs no shopping.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 380 calories a serving, 6 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Dice 1 small onion and mince 2 cloves garlic. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.4 min
2. Pour one 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes with juice into the pot, crush them with the back of a spoon, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 8 minutes, then stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and taste for salt and pepper.8 min
3. Tear 1 cup of the cheese and garlic croutons and stir them into the soup so they soften and thicken it, leaving some croutons whole to float on top if you like. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve hot.2 min

Note Swap the cream for 1/4 cup sour cream stirred in at the end if you prefer tang. Soup keeps three days refrigerated; warm gently and add water to loosen if it thickens. Toast the remaining croutons and serve on the side, or crumble them over individual bowls.