Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

(I hate it when I have to scroll through an entire post just to find the recipe... So here it is right at the beginning, and at the end as well if you need step by step directions!)

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped (or 1 cup)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) salted butter
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
Kosher salt (2 tsp, approx.)
1 1/3 cup chicken broth (10 oz)
1 tbsp dried basil (3 tbsp fresh, if you have it)
1-2 cups heavy cream
Cook onion with salt in butter over medium heat until soft.
Add tomatoes, chicken broth, dried basil, baking soda, and sugar.  Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer, cover, simmer for 15 minutes to 1 hr.
Remove from heat and puree with immersion blender.  Add fresh basil if you have it.  Add heavy cream, stir to combine, serve warm.

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

(For 4 large sandwiches)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) salted butter
1/2 tsp garlic salt
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 slices monterey jack (or havarti) cheese
8 slices bread
Melt butter and add garlic salt.  Brush each slice of bread with mixture.
Using approximately 1.5-2 slices of cheese/sandwich, combine cheddar and monterey jack in a harmonious arrangement.
Cook on griddler (or in pan) until cheese is melted and bread is slightly browned.
Cut in half and serve immediately with soup.

When I was a kid, I HATED tomato soup.  I hated a lot of things, but tomato soup from a can was one of the more loathsome things on my list.

So I refused to eat it for...  forever?

My sister told me she made a really good version that was creamy.  Did I want her to make it for me, she asked?  No.  Gross.  Tomato soup is gross.

Then a couple of years later, pregnant me REALLY wanted tomato soup.  So I made creamy tomato soup.  And it was really good!  I served it to my sister the next time she visited, and do you know what she said?

"This tastes pretty much exactly like my tomato soup."

Yup, I'm a jerk.  So now I'm giving you my/my sister's recipe for tomato soup!  It's perfect for Lenten Fridays (you can sub in vegetable broth if you're hardcore - technically chicken broth doesn't count as meat, but it's up to you).

The cast of characters:  Diced tomatoes, basil, chicken broth, sugar, baking soda (cuts the acidity), onion, garlic salt, and a whole lot of butter (not pictured:  heavy cream, bread, cheese).

Melt half a stick of butter over medium heat

Add a cup of onions, chopped

Have you met my bff, Kosher Salt?  Yeah, it will change your life.

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over your onions and butter, cook until soft.

Take a break to position your bald-headed baby - she needs to nurse, of course!

Now that she's latched on, add your sugar, baking soda, chicken broth, tomatoes, and basil.

Give it a stir, cover, and simmer covered for 15 minutes to an hour.  Really as long as you want...

Do you have an immersion blender?  You should get yourself one for your Easter basket.  They are amazing...  Puree your soups, sauces, baby food (if you're less lazy than us...  Baby-led weaning FTW) without having to get out the blender or food processor!

Anyway, turn off the heat and use your immersion blender to puree this soup as much as you want.  I like mine totally smooth.  You can transfer to a blender if you need to.  Or just leave it chunky.

See that beautiful texture?  If you have fresh basil, chop some up and add it now - it will make this SO much more delicious.  Unfortunately, I only had dried :(

Okay give it a taste.  Delicious?  You could leave it like this and have a less fatty and caloric soup.  OR...  You could add 1-2 cups of cream and REALLY kick it up a notch!

Add the cream.

Do it.

Or make a quadruple batch and freeze some for later and THEN add cream.

Cover your soup until you're ready to serve.  It's sandwich time!  I recommend doing this while the soup simmers if you can.

Do you have a bread that you LOVE to use for grilled cheese?  Use that.  I like Vienna or Italian bread (the bakery loaves) from our Giant, but Andrew was at Trader Joe's so he got a loaf of their Tuscan-style something or other, which works fine, too.

Anyway, get out however many slices you mean.  Melt the other half of your stick of butter and add garlic salt.  Brush bread slices with butter and add cheese (1-2 slices per sandwich - I prefer cheddar and havarti, but use what you like).

Do you have a griddler?  It's another seriously amazing kitchen appliance.

If you have one, pull it out and let it heat to medium-high.  Cook sandwiches for 3-4 minutes, until those beautiful brown lines show up.  Cut in half (or in strips for kids) and serve immediately with soup.

Dip that sandwich in the soup.  Is that not delicious?  And filling.  This recipe serves 2 adults and 2 kids with one serving of soup left over.

Meatless.

Delicious.

Make it now.

Cecilia says this is Tiger soup.  Made from tigers.  So maybe not meatless, by her definition...

 Recipe:


CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped (or 1 cup)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) salted butter
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
Kosher salt (2 tsp, approx.)
1 1/3 cup chicken broth (10 oz)
1 tbsp dried basil (3 tbsp fresh, if you have it)
1-2 cups heavy cream

Cook onion with salt in butter over medium heat until soft. 

Add tomatoes, chicken broth, dried basil, baking soda, and sugar.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover, simmer for 15 minutes to 1 hr.

Remove from heat and puree.  Add fresh basil if you have it.  Add heavy cream, stir to combine, serve warm.

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

(For 4 large sandwiches)

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) salted butter
1/2 tsp garlic salt
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 slices monterey jack (or havarti) cheese
8 slices bread

Melt butter and add garlic salt.  Brush each slice of bread with mixture.

Using approximately 1.5-2 slices of cheese/sandwich, combine cheddar and monterey jack in a harmonious arrangement.

Cook on griddler (or in pan) until cheese is melted and bread is slightly browned.

Cut in half and serve immediately with soup.

I'm being super-authentic, since I was actually barefoot in the kitchen for Hannah's link-up.  And since it's meatless, it's perfect for Lenten Meal Plan Monday!