The Ultimate Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup.
Whether it’s a cold, rainy day or it’s 80 degrees out, this recipe hits.

Serves 4

Grilled Cheese

8 oz munster, grated
4 oz sharp cheddar, grated
4 oz gruyère, grated
8 slices sourdough bread
6-8 Tbsp salted butter, softened

Tomato Soup

3 lb vine ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 large red bell pepper, cut into pedals
1 large yellow onion, cut into pedals
1 whole head of garlic, with the top sliced off
4 small carrots, sliced ½ inch thick
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
5 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
3 calabrian chile pepper, finely chopped or ½ tsp red pepper flakes
6 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
3 Tbsp tomato paste
3 ½ cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp basil, chiffonade
¼-½ cup heavy cream
½ lemon juiced
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Basil for garnish

To start, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cut the top off of the garlic to expose the cloves. To a baking sheet add quartered tomatoes, red peppers, onions, sliced carrots, thyme leaves, salt & pepper. Make a little room in the middle of the vegetables and add the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle everything with salt & pepper. Make sure to add lots of oil on the garlic.

Roast for 30-40 minutes until the garlic is golden and soft and the tomatoes are lightly charred and soft.

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add butter. Once melted, add onions. Season with salt and saute stirring often for 4-5 minutes until softened.

Next, add calabrian chile pepper, sun dried tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes until lightly caramelized and fragrant. Squeeze the garlic out of the skin, add that to the pot along with the roasted vegetables, chicken broth, basil, salt & pepper.

Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until slightly reduced and everything is soft.

Remove from heat, let cool for 10 minutes, blend in batches until very smooth, add the blended soup back to the pot along with heavy cream and lemon juice. Season your soup to taste with salt & pepper and adjust the consistency with chicken broth if needed. Keep warm while you make your sandwiches.

For the sandwiches, butter one side on two slices of your bread.

Set a 10 inch frying pan over medium-high and add one slice of bread butter side down. Add 4 oz of cheese to the bread. (it’s ok if i little get on the pan) Add the other slice of bread butter side up. Cook for 2-3 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed, until golden brown and crispy.

Carefully flip, cook for 2-3 more minutes or until the cheese is fully melted then remove to a cutting board.

Slice on a diagonal and serve alongside with a bowl of soup garnished with a drizzle of heavy cream and a sprig of basil.

enjoy!

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