Easy tomato soup with grilled cheese

Easy roasted tomato soup served with a simple, extra-cheesy grilled cheese sandwich is comfort food personified. Served with a swirl of cream and fresh basil, it's your childhood favorite all grown up.

Course Easy Dinner, Soup, Vegetarian

Cuisine American

Keyword Tomato basil soup, Tomato soup, Tomato soup recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 479kcal

Author Alida Ryder

Ingredients

1½ kg (3lbs) Tomatoes Use ripe, seasonal tomatoes or replace with whole canned tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are excellent but any good quality Italian tomatoes can be used.
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 red onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
½ cup fresh basil leaves I don't bother chopping the basil as the leaves will be blended.
2 tsp tomato paste
8 cups vegetable / chicken broth
½ cup cream
salt & black pepper to taste
fresh basil to serve

for the grilled cheese sandwich

2 slices bread per person
2 cups grated mozzarella
2 cups grated mature cheddar
butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
Place the tomatoes (if using canned tomatoes, add all the juices as well) in a roasting tray and add the Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar and salt. Stir to combine and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down and have started to caramelize.
In a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, sauté the onions in some olive oil until they are translucent and fragrant. Add the garlic and basil and fry for another minute.
Add the roasted tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Stir to combine all the ingredients and pour in the stock.
Lower the heat and cover the pot. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup until smooth using a blender or an immersion blender/stick blender.
Add the cream and season to taste.
To make the grilled cheese sandwiches, mix the mozzarella with the cheddar. Add ½ cup cheese to half of the slices of bread. Sandwich with the remaining bread. Butter both sides generously.
Cook in a non-stick pan, over medium heat until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are golden brown on both sides.
Serve the homemade tomato soup with a drizzle of cream and fresh basil leaves with the grilled cheese sandwiches.

Video

Notes

Recipe Notes:

Roasting the tomatoes with aromatics before blending into the soup builds serious flavor. It's a quick and easy step that means your soup goes from good to great. If you don't have access to ripe, in-season tomatoes, using whole canned tomatoes are perfectly fine.
Flavor the soup with ingredients that compliment tomatoes. Balsamic vinegar, basil and garlic are always a good idea where tomatoes are concerned. A pinch of chilli flakes/red pepper flakes will add a hum of heat if you like spicier foods. A little sugar tempers the acidity of the tomatoes but is completely optional.

Nutrition