Tomato soup and grilled cheese are the best food combo ever. I believe anyone who says otherwise is lying or they haven't tried this recipe yet. This recipe is perfect for those lazy, rainy, days. The recipe is super easy since there is barely any hands-on time. The tomato soup is full of deep tomato flavor thanks to the roasted tomatoes. Roasting your tomatoes brings out all those sweet flavors from the tomato. When the deep tomato flavor is paired with lots of salt, garlic, and basil it creates something magical. The grilled cheese has a sharp flavor from the addition of parmesan cheese along with mozzarella cheese. Dip your sandwich in the soup you'll fall in love with this meal.
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
INGREDIENTS:
Soup:
3 lb roma tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
12 garlic cloves
1 onion
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup basil (plus more for topping)
Grilled Cheese:
8 slices of bread
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
Couple tablespoons of butter
RECIPE:
Tomato soup: Preheat your oven to 400° F. Slice your tomatoes lengthwise and lay them cut side up on a baking sheet. Cut four of your garlic cloves into large chunks. Sprinkle the garlic on top of the tomatoes and drizzle with three tablespoons of olive oil. Salt the tomatoes well. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the tomatoes cook, dice your onion and roughly chop the remainder of your garlic cloves. Towards the end of the bake time, heat up a large pot with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss in your onions and cook them for about 3 minutes on medium low. Add your garlic in and cook for another 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper and then pour in all of your vegetable broth. Cover the pot and let everything simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Chop half of your basil and add it to the pot along with the tomatoes. Salt, cover, and let everything simmer for 30-45 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more flavorful your soup will be. After 30-45 minutes, using an immersion blender, blend everything together well. Chop the rest of the basil and add it to the pot with more salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Cover the soup and let it simmer while you make the grilled cheese.
Grilled cheese: Mix the cheese together and set aside. Start heating your pan up on a low flame. Spread butter on one side of two slices of bread. Place the butter side down and add half a cup of cheese on one of the slices. Place the slice with the cheese in the pan (butter side down) and cover it. Cook on low for about 3-4 minutes until the cheese melts. Place the second slice of bread on top and flip. Make sure the buttered side is touching the pan. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Repeat for the rest of the bread and cheese. Immediately after you make the sandwich, rub the garlic clove all over the crust. This adds a nice subtle garlic flavor.
Serving: Garnish the soup with some more basil and serve with the grilled cheese.