Classic Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
This creamy homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich are the ultimate comfort food combo, ready in 25 minutes! Make your grilled cheese on the stovetop or in the oven.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Soup (6 servings)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 cups vegetable broth preferably low sodium
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 6 ounces can of tomato paste
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 parmesan rind optional
- extra virgin olive oil or shredded parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
For the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Makes 1)
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 slices white cheddar cheese
- 2 slices mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Make the Soup
- Cook the onion and garlic. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 20 seconds.
- Add remaining ingredients and cook. Reduce heat to low and add the flour along with a splash of the broth, gently whisking constantly. Cook about 1 minute. Add the rest of the broth, the tomatoes, tomato paste, and parmesan rind if using. Bring to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the soup has thickened a bit.
- Remove the parmesan rind. Turn off the heat.
- Blend. With an immersion blender, blend up the soup until everything is smooth and well combined. You can also use a standard blender, but be sure to vent the top of the blender so that pressure from the hot soup doesn't build up and cause some of the soup to burst out of the blender.
- Add cream and season to taste. Once the soup is well combined, return it to the pot on the stovetop over low heat. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through.
- Add garnishes. Serve the tomato soup garnished with sprinkles of shredded parmesan cheese and/or with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Make the Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Stovetop Method
- Butter the bread. Gently spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter on one side of each piece of bread. Make sure you get an even coat of butter on the bread.
- Assemble grilled cheese. Place a slice of bread, buttered side down, in a skillet. Layer the cheese slices on top. Add the remaining piece of bread on top of the cheese, buttered side up.
- Cook. Over medium heat, cook your grilled cheese for about 2-3 minutes per side, covering the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Check the underside of your sandwich periodically. It is ready to flip when light golden brown.
- Make it melty. Remove the grilled cheese from the skillet and cut it in half diagonally to make sure the inside has melted. If it has not, place the cut slices back onto the skillet over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until the cheese is melty, about 1 minute per side. The bread will be medium golden brown when the sandwich is done, but should not be dark.
- Dig in. Serve your grilled cheese sandwich with a steaming bowl of tomato soup.
Grilled Cheese - Oven Method
- Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. You can also use a silpat.
- Add the butter. Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter on one side of each piece of bread.
- Assemble grilled cheese. Place a slice of bread, buttered side down, on your baking sheet. Layer the cheese slices on top. Add the remaining piece of bread on top of the cheese, buttered side up.
- Bake. Place your sandwich in the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melty.
- Broil. Turn on the broiler and broil for about 40 seconds to 1 minute, until golden brown. Flip the sandwich over and repeat until the other side is golden and crispy. Keep an eye on your grilled cheese!
Nutrition
Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 694mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1720IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 4mg
