Tomato Soup and Poached Eggs Over Homemade Croutons

adapted from Over Cocktails blog
via Karen Lonergan

serves 4 to 6

For the soup:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup shallots, sliced
5 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (no need to remove the seeds)
½ cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

4 to 6 eggs
2 cups croutons

Optional toppings: crumbled bacon or fried, crispy sage

Melt butter in a large saucepan with lid. Add shallots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and water; bring to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for 1½ hours over low-medium heat. Put the soup through a food mill or strain into a bowl. Test for salt and add ground pepper.

Simmer fresh eggs in tomato soup for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how poached you like your eggs. Alternatively, you can poach the eggs separately in a poacher or boiling water.

Place a layer of croutons at the bottom of each soup bowl. Fish your eggs out of the soup with a slotted spoon, and place 1 or 2 poached eggs gently on the bed of croutons in each bowl. Pour soup over the eggs and croutons.

Of course homemade tomato soup is preferred, but I will shamelessly use Trader Joe’s Creamy Tomato soup in a pinch.

I often have leftover homemade croutons in the freezer but if not, they are easy to make with ends of French bread, cut into 1” cubes and sautéed with olive oil while your eggs are simmering. Croutons must be very dry otherwise they will soak up too much liquid.