Preheat your oven to 375°F. Arrange the sliced Roma tomatoes lengthwise on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and season evenly with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for 1 hour until the tomatoes are caramelized and soft. Remove from the oven and set aside for later use.

While the tomatoes are roasting, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat (you can also use olive oil if preferred). Add the diced yellow onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the minced garlic and chopped fresh thyme, then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Sauté for another minute until fragrant.

Stir in the can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 1 cup of loosely chopped fresh basil, and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. I like to add the sugar at this stage to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock and add the roasted Roma tomatoes from Step 1 to the pot. Stir everything together and let the soup simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks. This deepens the flavors and brings everything together.

Once the soup has simmered, use an immersion blender to carefully purée it until smooth. Alternatively, cool the soup slightly and blend it in batches using a countertop blender or food processor, then return it to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream and gently heat until fully incorporated. For a silkier texture, I blend a little longer at this stage.

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut bread into small cubes and toss them with a little extra olive oil, some diced garlic, and chopped basil. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes, or until golden and crispy. These make wonderful homemade croutons—I find that using day-old bread gives an even better crunch.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls and sprinkle the mini croutons from Step 6 on top. Serve immediately and enjoy all the comforting flavors!