Crock Pot Carrot Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons (!!)

The cheesy cronch is next level

On our last trip to Texas to visit family, my mother-in-law made a carrot soup that my oldest son absolutely devoured. I watched with my own eyes as a child of mine scooped spoonful after spoonful of vegetable soup into his mouth, and, as all seasoned parents understand, I kept my mouth shut so as not to disturb whatever miracle was currently in progress.

Of course, I had to snag the recipe, and it turned out to be startlingly simple and easy to adapt for the crock pot.

The soup is made with A LOT of carrots, an apple, broth and seasonings, plus a whole stick of cream cheese added at the end. It’s creamy and rich, with a touch of sweetness, like the root vegetable version of a tomato bisque.

The texture is ideal for dipping a grilled cheese, but you know what’s even better than grilled cheese? GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS.

We Need to Talk About These Croutons

I’ve long been a fan of making grilled cheese in the oven (the convenience!), but I wondered what would happen if I ignored the beep of the timer and sailed right by golden toasty and onward to shatteringly crisp.

I’ll tell you what happens. You get grilled cheese croutons. A revelation! My kid even did the eyes-roll-back-in-head thing when he tried it. A wonder!