[Whole Wheat] Bread and Tomato Soup

So, I know this soup picture is totally ugly. So what if it looks like I took the pic with a disposable camera? This is the best tomato soup I've ever had. I detest canned tomato soup with a passion yet I've always loved ketchup, tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, etc. It just recently occurred to me that I probably don't actually hate tomato soup, I just don't care for the canned variety. I was totally right. This soup tastes nothing like the canned version. It has so much more flavor, texture, and real tomato taste.

Since, as I've been complaining writing about for a few days now, I had my wisdom teeth removed I needed to stock up on smooth baby-like foods. You know, pudding, soup, and jello. I found this recipe on my Epicurious iPhone app and it caught my eye because of the addition of bread. The original called for white bread, but since I'm making small attempts at being more healthy, I decided to use whole wheat. It was a really good way to get some more nutrition. I definitly will be making this again. It's healthy, tasty, easy to make, and perfect for fall and winter. :)

[Whole Wheat] Bread and Tomato Soup

1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
6 cups whole wheat bread without crusts, cut into 1" cubes
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock (or water)
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Sauté the garlic until cooked just fragrant, then add the bread cubes. Stir until all the oil is absorbed into the bread and the bread is toasted. Add the tomatoes, stock (or water), basil, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer until the bread breaks down, about 20 minutes. Remove the garlic. Alternatively, pulse with a handheld blender to make the soup extra smooth.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious