Try this tomato soup recipe and you'll never go back to canned. Plus, perfect grilled cheese
Is there a more classic pairing than grilled cheese and a creamy bowl of tomato soup? If you’ve been craving the ultimate soup-sandwich combo, I have recipes for the cheesiest, toastiest grilled cheese to partner with the creamiest, brightest tomato soup.
If you’re thinking, who needs a recipe for grilled cheese? And why make homemade tomato soup when a can will do? Take note: There are many ways to catapult both the sandwich and the soup to new levels of deliciousness with simple ingredient swaps and cooking techniques that change the game. The results are gourmet, but the prep work is easy and foolproof. Trust me, you’ll never eat a simple grilled cheese with a can of soup again.
Homemade tomato soup
Making tomato soup from scratch is easy, but there are a few tips that will ensure a great result every time.
Use a non-reactive pan. Reactive pans like aluminum, cast iron and copper chemically react with the acidity of the tomatoes and can produce a metallic taste, so choose a non-reactive pan, such as stainless steel, ceramic, glass or any enamel-coated cookware.
Offset the acidity of the tomatoes with dairy. Tomatoes are acidic, so it’s important to balance that acidity with other ingredients. In this soup, we neutralize the acidity by adding heavy cream, parmesan cheese and a little sugar. We use 1 tablespoon of sugar in the recipe, but taste your soup before serving and adjust the acidity with a little more sugar, if you like.
Use yellow onion. I prefer yellow onion in this soup because it adds a subtle sweetness; another sugary quality that offsets the acidity of the tomatoes and saltiness of the parmesan cheese.
Use whole or crushed canned tomatoes with the juice from the can. I prefer whole peeled tomatoes for their unrivaled burst of tomato flavor. Since we’re pureeing the soup, there’s no need to worry about larger chunks of tomatoes during cooking. Note, while I prefer whole tomatoes, you can certainly use crushed or diced canned tomatoes.
Use fresh basil, if possible. While it’s more common to use dried herbs when cooking and fresh herbs when serving, fresh basil adds a unique floral quality to this vibrant soup. And since this soup only simmers for about 20 minutes, the basil flavor isn’t muted. That said, if desired, you may substitute dried basil. When substituting dried basil, add 1 tablespoon to the pot when you add the celery seed. Do not use dried basil as a garnish.
Use a blender or immersion blender to puree your soup. I prefer creamy tomato soup, so I used a regular blender and pureed my soup until smooth. If you like a chunkier soup, puree until you reach your desired consistency. When using a regular blender, work in batches and don’t overfill. Why? Hot liquids release steam, which increases pressure inside the blender. Too much pressure and the lid can burst off, spewing hot soup everywhere. To prevent burns (and a big mess), fill the blender no more than halfway, and cover the lid with a dish towel before blending.
How to make grilled cheese
Though a simple sandwich, not all grilled cheeses are created equal.
Use thick-sliced bread. It doesn’t matter if you choose white or wheat, just choose thick-sliced bread, with slices that are ¾- to 1-inch thick. Thinner slices will produce flimsy, soggy sandwiches. That said, any thicker than 1 inch and your cheese won’t melt properly. I used thick-sliced whole wheat bread, but you can also use Texas toast.
Be generous with your butter. Buttery bread is the key to the ultimate grilled cheese. As the butter melts, it not only infuses the bread with flavor, it caramelizes and toasts the bread to crispy perfection. Use at least ½ tablespoon of butter for each slice of bread. Salted or unsalted butter will work.
Have fun with the cheeses. The definitive grilled cheese features a combination of cheeses delivering varying tastes and textures. For example, sharp cheeses like cheddar add complexity while soft, mellow cheeses like Gouda, Havarti and Muenster add buttery creaminess and nutty cheeses like Swiss and Gruyere add extra-long cheese pulls. I used sharp cheddar, Muenster and Gruyere.
Cook over low heat. The finest grilled cheese requires patience, so don’t rush the process. Cook your sandwiches “low and slow” over medium-low heat for several minutes. This ensures that the cheeses melt fully while the bread turns golden and crisp. Cooking too quickly over higher heat will produce sandwiches with burned bread and un-melted cheese.
Use a cast-iron skillet, griddle or non-stick pan. Your pan choice isn’t critical here, as most pans will work. If you’re using a skillet, work in batches to prevent crowding the pan. When working in batches, keep finished sandwiches warm, on a baking sheet, in a 200-degree F oven. To cook multiple sandwiches at the same time, use a griddle.
Reheat leftovers the same way you cooked them. Leftover grilled cheese sandwiches will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat the sandwiches in a buttered skillet over low heat until crisp and melty. I do not recommend using the microwave unless you want limp leftovers.
Tomato soup recipe
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon celery seed
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth or chicken stock
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus more if needed for serving
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Melt the butter in a nonreactive saucepan, stock pot, or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until very soft (we’re not going for deep color here).
Add the garlic and celery seed and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes with the juice from the can. If you’re using whole tomatoes, use a potato masher to gently crush them. Add the chicken broth, basil and sugar, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. *While your soup is simmering, make your grilled cheese sandwiches (see recipe below).
Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the soup until you reach the desired consistency. When using a blender, work in batches and do not fill the blender more than halfway.
Return the puree to the pan over low heat. Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese and simmer until the cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. If necessary, adjust the acidity with more sugar.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh basil and more parmesan cheese and serve with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Grilled cheese
Makes: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
8 thick slices sandwich bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 slices cheddar cheese, medium or sharp
4 slices Muenster, Gouda or Havarti cheese
4 slices Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Instructions:
Spread the butter on one side of each bread slice, using at least ½ tablespoon of butter per slice.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle to medium-low heat. Working in batches, place the bread in the hot pan, butter-side-down. Top the bread slices with the cheeses. Top the cheese and the second slice of bread, butter-side-up.
When the bottom bread is golden brown, flip and cook the second side. Continue cooking on medium-low so the bread toasts slowly. Cook until the bread is a rich brown color and the cheese melts, flipping as needed and pressing down gently to ensure the cheese sticks to the bread. This may take several minutes.
Slice diagonally and serve with a bowl of tomato soup.
More soup: The most comforting chicken noodle soup recipe on the internet takes less than 30 minutes
Questions or comments? Email the culinary team at cooking@azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How to make the ultimate tomato soup recipe and best grilled cheese
