Traditional tomato soup and grilled cheese. Identify a greater consolation meals combo, I’ll wait! This simple recipe makes the final word creamy home made tomato soup and a gooey grilled cheese sandwich, and it’s all prepared in 25 minutes.
In search of easier soup recipes to pair with a crispy, golden grilled cheese? Attempt my pumpkin soup, creamy butternut squash soup, and this nostalgia-packed, home made alphabet soup.
Regardless of the season, a bowl of cozy, basic tomato soup and a melty grilled cheese is my go-to consolation meals. The mix of a crispy, tacky, golden sandwich dunked into creamy, tangy tomato soup is truthfully one of the best! It was my favourite as a child, and it nonetheless is now. So, let’s make one of the best home made tomato soup paired with an ideal grilled cheese.
Why This Traditional Soup and Sandwich Combo Works
- Prepared in half-hour or much less. Whereas the soup simmers, make your sandwich on the stovetop or within the oven. I share each simple strategies, plus my suggestions for the proper grilled cheese.
- Craveable distinction. The distinction of creamy, savory flavors and crunchy textures between the tomato soup and the sandwich is the stuff of goals. There’s nothing higher!
- Scrumptious anytime. Serve soup and grilled cheese for lunch, dinner, or as a comfortable climate meal. Prompt consolation.
Collect What You’ll Want
I’ve included notes beneath on the elements you’ll have to make my basic tomato soup recipe and one of the best grilled cheese ever. It’s tremendous simple! Scroll all the way down to the recipe card after the put up for the printable recipe, adopted by step-by-step directions with photographs.
Tomato Soup Elements
- Butter – Unsalted butter or olive oil, for sautéing.
- Onion and Garlic – Chopped yellow or white onion and freshly minced garlic. If you happen to don’t have contemporary garlic, substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic paste or ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Flour – Stirred into the melted butter to make a “roux”, to thicken the creamy soup. I like to recommend all-purpose flour.
- Vegetable Broth – I favor low-sodium broth. Rooster inventory may even work right here if you happen to’re not making the soup vegetarian.
- Crushed Tomatoes and Tomato Paste – Canned crushed tomatoes work completely in home made soup (and I truly discover canned tomatoes have extra taste than contemporary!). Attempt to use Italian San Marzano tomatoes if you happen to can, as they’re sweeter and extra flavorful.
- Heavy Cream – I can’t resist amping up the creaminess of this soup with a contact of cream. Be happy to make use of half-and-half, entire milk, or Greek yogurt for a lighter possibility (it’s possible you’ll discover a slight distinction within the general texture and taste, although).
Canned vs. Recent Tomatoes in Do-it-yourself Soup
I take advantage of canned tomatoes on this recipe as a result of they’re all the time in season. You possibly can completely make your tomato soup 100% from scratch with contemporary tomatoes if you happen to favor. The bottom line is to roast the tomatoes first to deliver out their sweetness and tang.
You’ll discover this system in my roasted tomato soup recipe. I like to recommend cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or very ripe backyard tomatoes, roasted at 425ºF for 20-25 minutes earlier than you add them to the soup. Massive, watery tomatoes will dilute the flavour.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Bread – My favourite bread for grilled cheese is crusty sourdough. You may as well use white bread or entire grain bread.
- Butter – Nothing beats butter by way of taste. Plant-based butter will work right here, too.
- Cheese – I make my grilled cheese with cheddar and Mozzarella cheese for max meltiness. It’s one of the best cheese combo for a grilled cheese, IMO. You possibly can additionally use American cheese. Use skinny slices or grate the cheese in order that it melts rapidly.
Recipe Suggestions
- If you happen to mix the soup utilizing a regular blender or meals processor, make certain to vent the highest. Sizzling soup in a sealed blender creates a vacuum, which may result in a scorching soup explosion. Nobody desires soup on their partitions and ceiling. I repeat: Vent the lid.
- Keep away from curdled soup. Be sure that so as to add the cream over low warmth, and after mixing. In any other case, the dairy can cut up and curdle within the excessive warmth.
- Maintain the grilled cheese crispy. If you happen to’re nonetheless busy after cooking the grilled cheese, or if you happen to’re cooking a big batch, maintain the completed sandwiches heat within the oven at low warmth, in order that they keep crispy.
What to Serve With Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
I wish to garnish our soup bowls with freshly shaved parmesan, basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil. This basic tomato soup and sandwich mixture is scrumptious as-is, or you may add a kale salad or inexperienced salad, crunchy pickles, or crispy baked potato chips on the aspect. Enjoyable truth: Tomato soup and grilled cheese pair amazingly with a glass of chilly, dry rosé or white sangria in the summertime.
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- Massive Soup Pot – You’ll desire a heavy-bottomed pot for sautéing and simmering the soup.
- Immersion Blender – Good for mixing the soup proper within the pot.
- Grill Pan or Skillet – Use this for making the grilled cheese on the stovetop. A nonstick skillet or forged iron pan works nice.
- Spatula – Important for flipping that golden grilled cheese sandwich.
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For the Soup (6 servings)
For the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Makes 1)
Make the Soup
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Cook dinner the onion and garlic. In a big pot, soften the butter over medium warmth. Add the onion and cook dinner, stirring regularly, till softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook dinner till simply aromatic, about 20 seconds.
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Add remaining elements and cook dinner. Cut back warmth to low and add the flour together with a splash of the broth, gently whisking continuously. Cook dinner about 1 minute. Add the remainder of the broth, the tomatoes, tomato paste, and parmesan rind if utilizing. Deliver to a simmer and cook dinner about quarter-hour, stirring regularly, till the soup has thickened a bit.
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Take away the parmesan rind. Flip off the warmth.
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Mix. With an immersion blender, mix up the soup till every little thing is clean and properly mixed. You may as well use a regular blender, however you’ll want to vent the highest of the blender in order that strain from the recent soup does not construct up and trigger among the soup to burst out of the blender.
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Add cream and season to style. As soon as the soup is properly mixed, return it to the pot on the stovetop over low warmth. Stir within the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to style. Cook dinner till heated by means of.
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Add garnishes. Serve the tomato soup garnished with sprinkles of shredded parmesan cheese and/or with a drizzle of additional virgin olive oil.
Make the Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Stovetop Methodology
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Butter the bread. Gently unfold 2 tablespoons of softened butter on one aspect of every piece of bread. Ensure you get a fair coat of butter on the bread.
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Assemble grilled cheese. Place a slice of bread, buttered aspect down, in a skillet. Layer the cheese slices on high. Add the remaining piece of bread on high of the cheese, buttered aspect up.
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Cook dinner. Over medium warmth, cook dinner your grilled cheese for about 2-3 minutes per aspect, overlaying the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Verify the underside of your sandwich periodically. It is able to flip when mild golden brown.
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Make it melty. Take away the grilled cheese from the skillet and reduce it in half diagonally to ensure the within has melted. If it has not, place the reduce slices again onto the skillet over medium-low warmth. Cowl and cook dinner till the cheese is melty, about 1 minute per aspect. The bread will probably be medium golden brown when the sandwich is completed, however shouldn’t be darkish.
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Dig in. Serve your grilled cheese sandwich with a steaming bowl of tomato soup.
Grilled Cheese – Oven Methodology
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Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. You may as well use a silpat.
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Add the butter. Unfold 2 tablespoons of softened butter on one aspect of every piece of bread.
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Assemble grilled cheese. Place a slice of bread, buttered aspect down, in your baking sheet. Layer the cheese slices on high. Add the remaining piece of bread on high of the cheese, buttered aspect up.
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Bake. Place your sandwich within the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes or till the cheese is melty.
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Broil. Activate the broiler and broil for about 40 seconds to 1 minute, till golden brown. Flip the sandwich over and repeat till the opposite aspect is golden and crispy. Regulate your grilled cheese!
Energy: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 14g | Fats: 31g | Saturated Fats: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8g | Trans Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 694mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1720IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 4mg
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could differ in keeping with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
How one can Make Traditional Tomato Soup
Comply with the steps right here to make a batch of creamy, cozy tomato soup in about 20 minutes. You possibly can even double the recipe and freeze leftovers! See the part additional down for particulars.
- Sauté the onion and garlic. First, add the onion to a big pot with melted butter. Cook dinner over medium warmth till the onion softens, then stir within the garlic.
- Add the opposite elements. Subsequent, decrease the warmth and stir the flour into the sautéed veggies with a splash of broth. Whisk that round to make a roux. After a minute, pour in the remainder of the broth, together with the tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Cook dinner. Deliver the soup to a simmer and cook dinner for quarter-hour, stirring usually, till the soup is thick and creamy.
- Mix. Now, mix the soup utilizing an immersion blender (or a daily blender with an open lid). Afterward, place the pot again over low warmth.
- Make it creamy. Lastly, stir within the heavy cream whereas the soup heats by means of. Season the soup to style with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and serve garnished with parmesan, basil, and olive oil.
Save Your Parmesan Rinds!
My trick for much more taste in my home made soups and sauces? Save leftover Parmesan rinds when you’ve used up the cheese. Add the rind into the soup if you add the broth and tomatoes, to spice up the flavors, much like the way you’d add a bay leaf. Bear in mind to take away it earlier than mixing and serving.
How one can Make a Good Grilled Cheese Sandwich (2 Methods)
Whereas the soup cooks, I cook dinner my stovetop grilled cheese in a skillet with a lid to avoid wasting time. It helps to hurry up the cheese melting with out burning the bread. Alternatively, you should use the oven methodology beneath or make an air fryer grilled cheese, which can be fast and straightforward.
- Butter the bread. Unfold softened butter evenly over one aspect of every bread slice. Professional tip: Use unsalted butter, and afterward, salt the buttered bread slices by hand with flaky Maldon salt or comparable. Not solely does it add taste, however the salt crystals assist the skin of the grilled cheese crisp up within the warmth! Win.
- Assemble the sandwich. Subsequent, lay one piece of bread buttered aspect down in a skillet. Place the cheese on high, and shut the sandwich with a second bread slice, buttered aspect up.
- Cook dinner. Cook dinner the grilled cheese over medium warmth, lined with a lid, for 2-3 minutes per aspect. It’s able to flip when the underside of the sandwich is flippantly toasted.
- Make it melty. Verify that the grilled cheese is completed by slicing it in half. If the within hasn’t melted, return it to the skillet till it’s gooey. The bread must be golden brown, however not darkish.
- Dig in. Serve your grilled cheese sandwich subsequent to your steaming bowl of creamy tomato soup.
Oven Methodology
If you happen to’re brief on stovetop area, observe the steps beneath to bake your grilled cheese within the oven or toaster oven as an alternative.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. You possibly can additionally use a silicone baking mat (Silpat) right here.
- Assemble the grilled cheese. Subsequent, butter the bread slices with softened butter. Assemble the grilled cheese, this time on the baking sheet, following the identical instructions as above.
- Bake. Bake the grilled cheese within the oven at 375ºF for five minutes, till the cheese is melted.
- Broil. Change the oven to broil for the final 40 seconds to 1 minute, then flip and repeat, till the skin of the sandwich is a crispy golden brown. Don’t go away the broiler unattended, otherwise you may burn your grilled cheese.
Attempt These Variations
- Grilled cheese add-ons. Add cooked bacon or contemporary tomato slices to your grilled cheese.
- Candy and savory. For one thing a little bit completely different, attempt my apple grilled cheese or add rhubarb chutney for a sweet-savory distinction.
- Tomato bisque. The soup I’ve shared right here may be very near my creamy tomato bisque recipe, which I make with canned fire-roasted tomatoes and heavy cream. You may as well “fancy” issues up with a basic French lobster bisque.
- Make it vegan/dairy-free. Substitute any dairy within the recipe (butter, heavy cream, cheese) together with your most well-liked vegan substitutes to make vegan tomato soup and grilled cheese. I’d recommend coconut milk within the soup, vegan cheddar for the sandwich, and olive oil or a plant-based butter different in each recipes.
- Gluten-free. You can also make a gluten-free grilled cheese with gluten-free bread. On this case, skip the flour within the soup recipe.
Storage and Reheating
- Retailer and reheat leftover soup. Refrigerate any leftover tomato soup in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. It’s nice warmed up within the microwave or on the range after the flavors have had extra time to mingle!
- Retailer and reheat leftover grilled cheese. Maintain the grilled cheese hermetic within the fridge, too, for as much as 2 days. Reheat the sandwich within the oven or air fryer (you should use the microwave, but it surely gained’t be as crispy).
- Make-ahead and freezing. Do-it-yourself tomato soup is great to make upfront and freeze. Enable the soup to chill, then freeze it for as much as 2 months. Thaw the soup within the fridge earlier than reheating.
