1

Brush or spray the tomatoes and onions with oil. Grill over Direct Medium heat until the tomato skins begin to blister and the onions are tender, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and when cool enough to handle, peel away the skins and discard [work over the bowl to reserve all of the juices]. Place a sieve over a large saucepan and gently squeeze the tomatoes over the sieve to catch the seeds. Discard the seeds. Roughly chop the tomatoes and onions and add them to the saucepan along with the tomato juice from the bowl, the chicken stock, garlic, and thyme. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the

2

Heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the soup for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3

To make the croutons: In a small bowl, blend 1/4 cup of olive oil with the cheese. Slice the bread on the bias into twelve pieces, each about 1/2-inch thick. Spread the oil mixture over both sides of the bread. Press the mixture into the bread as you work. Grill the bread over Direct Low heat until golden, about 4 minutes, turning once.

4

To serve, ladle about 1 cup of soup into each serving bowl. Place two croutons on top.