Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Recipe

a hand pouring a ladle of tomato soup into a bowl with a side of grilled cheese

5 from 8 votes

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Recipe

Inspired by Ina Garten, this sourdough grilled cheese and tomato soup recipe uses roasted summer tomatoes, fresh herbs, and plenty of gooey cheese for my take on classic comfort food.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 25

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 522kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Equipment

Ingredients

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

6 roma tomatoes cut in half length-wise
1 yellow onion quartered
⅓ cup olive oil divided
2 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
5 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 pinch saffron strands
1 (28 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes crushed
6 cups chicken broth low sodium
½ cup fresh basil leaves plus extra for garnish
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
heavy cream

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2 slices sourdough bread
2 slices cheddar cheese
2 slices muenster cheese
softened butter for spreading

Instructions

Make the Tomato Soup

Preheat your oven to 400℉.
Place the halved tomatoes cut side up with the onions on a parchment baking sheet. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Roast for 40-50 minutes, until tomatoes are slumped looking, turning golden brown. Remove from the oven. Complete this before moving on to the next step.
6 roma tomatoes, 1 yellow onion, ⅓ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
In a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the minced garlic, fresh thyme, and saffron in the remaining olive oil and the butter for just a minute or two, stirring frequently. Garlic burns easily, so don't overcook it!
2 tablespoon butter, 5 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 1 pinch saffron strands, ⅓ cup olive oil
Add the roasted tomatoes and onions with the accumulated juices to the pot along with the canned tomatoes and chicken broth. Let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes, but add the basil 5 minutes before finishing the simmer time.
1 (28 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes, 6 cups chicken broth, ½ cup fresh basil leaves
TURN OFF THE HEAT BEFORE IMMERSION BLENDING! After you turn the heat off, use an immersion blender to carefully blend the tomato soup smooth. If you want a super-smooth soup, strain it through a fine sieve. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Serve the soup in bowls with a drizzle of heavy cream for richness, a few fresh basil leaves for garnish, and the grilled cheese sandwich on the side. I like to cut mine in half and use the other half as croutons.
heavy cream

Make the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Smooth the butter over one side of each slice of bread, then place one slice butter side-down into a hot skillet over medium heat. Top with the slices of cheese and the other bread slice, butter side up.
softened butter, 2 slices sourdough bread
Once the bread on the bottom is golden brown, flip the sandwich with a fish spatula to toast the other bread slice until golden brown. Repeat with however many sandwiches you are making.
2 slices cheddar cheese, 2 slices muenster cheese

Notes

Note: The recipe calls only for enough bread and cheese to make one sandwich; use however many you need to make enough sandwiches for the soup you are serving immediately.

Make Grilled Cheese Croutons

To make crispy grilled cheese croutons, cut the sandwiches into 1 or 2 inch squares. To make them crunchier, like a crouton, put sandwich squares onto an oven safe baking sheet or dish and bake at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes OR until the croutons have come to your preferred crunchiness.

Storage Instructions

Store soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition