Rainy-Day Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 loaf day-old bread 
• 0.5 cup butter melted
• 28 oz canned tomatoes crushed canned
• 0.5 cup carrots peeled cut into 2-inch sticks
• 1 cup celery chopped
• 2 teaspoons basil dried
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
• 3 tablespoons garlic chopped
• 1 tablespoon penzey's southwest seasoning italian
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1  onion thinly sliced
• 2.5 cups vegetable broth 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• ladle
• oven
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and garlic and saut until onion is translucent.
2. Add celery and carrot; cook 5 more minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until thickened. Ladle soup into 4 bowls; top each serving evenly with Italian Croutons.
4. Cube bread and place in a large plastic zipping bag; set aside.
5. Combine butter and seasoning; pour over bread.
6. Mix well; arrange bread cubes on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes; turn bread cubes and bake 5 more minutes.