Tomato Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons

Warm a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat and add ½ cup butter, onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns. Stir until butter is fully melted and cover. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 5 minutes, or until onions begin to soften. The onions should not brown at all.

Once the onions are soft, add tomato paste and cook for a minute or so, stirring to incorporate the paste into the butter. Add tomatoes, salt, and ground white pepper and cover again. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes, or until tomatoes are very soft.

Once the tomatoes have released all of their liquid, put the mixture through the finest die of a food mill. Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender and puree for 5–10 minutes until soup is very smooth. Return to the pan and add half-and-half. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and keep warm until ready to serve.

Top with baked puff pastry croutons and fresh cracked pepper immediately prior to serving.

For the puff pastry croutons:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Carefully lay out your puff pastry and cut into even 1-inch squares with a knife. If you have a biscuit cuter or cookie cutter, you could use them to cut shapes. Place the pieces on a cookie sheet. Brush the tops of with egg wash. Bake until puffy and golden, about 25 minutes.