Description
A comforting and creamy tomato soup paired perfectly with a crispy grilled cheese sandwich. This classic American meal combines rich, flavorful tomato soup blended with cream and a gooey grilled cheese made with sourdough and cheddar, ideal for a cozy lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Tomato Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
For the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- 4 slices sourdough or sandwich bread
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavors.
- Simmer the Soup: Pour in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, sugar, dried basil, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend beautifully.
- Puree the Soup: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. If you do not have one, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender and blend until creamy.
- Add Cream and Final Simmer: Stir in the heavy cream or half-and-half and let the soup simmer for another 2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Prepare the Grilled Cheese: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 2 slices of bread, buttered side down, in the skillet. Top each slice with 2 slices of cheddar cheese, then place the remaining bread slices on top, buttered side up.
- Grill the Sandwich: Cook each sandwich for 3–4 minutes per side or until golden brown and the cheese has melted completely.
- Serve: Serve the hot creamy tomato soup alongside the grilled cheese sandwiches, or cut the sandwiches into strips for dipping into the soup.
Notes
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the soup for a touch of heat.
- Include fresh basil for a fresh and summery flavor twist.
- Feel free to substitute cheddar with mozzarella, Swiss, or a cheese blend for variety.
- This recipe can be doubled for larger servings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl of soup + 1 sandwich
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 880mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
