Your next challenge: Creamy tomato soup & grilled cheese croutons

The near-Arctic temperatures have kept us wrapped up tightly in our coziest winter wear, but our next challenge will warm you from the inside out! It takes the already brilliant combo of tomato soup and grilled cheese to a whole new delicious level. It's perfect for a Saturday at home but special enough for company. It’s the best thing to happen to soup since . . . sandwiches!

So join in on the fun, and whip up the comfort food to end all comfort foods: Tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons!

But wait, there’s more. Now the Chatelaine Cooking Club comes with prizing! The best dressed-up soup photo, as chosen by the Chatelaine Kitchen, will receive a cookbook prize pack, including a copy of Daniel: My French Cuisine by Daniel Boulud and Manresa: An Edible Reflection by David Kinch and Christine Muhlke. Yay!

Click here for contest rules and regulations.

Creamy tomato and red pepper soup with grilled cheese croutons

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 small celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small red pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 796-mL can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 slices white bread
• 2 square slices cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. MELT 2 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is soft, 4 to 5 min. Add carrots, celery, pepper, tomato paste, lime juice, sugar, salt and cayenne. Season with fresh pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 min. Add broth and diced tomatoes and juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until vegetables are tender, 20 min.

2. PURÉE in 2 batches in a blender until smooth. Return to saucepan set over low to keep warm.

3. SPREAD 2 tbsp butter on both sides of each bread slice. Heat a large frying pan over medium and lay 2 slices in pan. Top each with 1 slice of cheese, then remaining bread. Cook, flipping halfway, until cheese is melted and bread is golden, 4 min. Remove from pan and let cool slightly. Cut into 1/2-in. cubes.

4. LADLE soup into bowls and top with grilled cheese croutons.

How to post your pic?

Once you have your photo, you can post it one of four ways (make sure you’re not on a private setting):

• Follow us on Instagram, then post your photo using @ChatelaineKitchen
• Follow us on Twitter, then tweet us your photo with the hashtag #ChatelaineKitchen
• Like us on Facebook, then message us your photo
• Email us your picture at chatelaine.kitchen@gmail.com

Get your photos posted by Thursday, February 6 at noon to be considered for the club’s gallery the following day, which will be featured with the following week’s recipe.