Grilled cheese and tomato soup is the perfect fall comfort meal! Here's our easy, from scratch recipe for the creamiest tomato soup paired with a deliciously melty grilled cheese.
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Over the cooler months, my husband and I have a Sunday afternoon tradition. After church we come home and enjoy tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. It's a classic comfort food for the both of us.
Now, when gardening season is in full swing I might resort to Roasted Tomato Soup with fresh tomatoes. But on a Sunday? After a busy morning at church? No, I'll take the quick and easy recipe instead.
I do love, though, how this recipe can be altered depending on the time that's available. On a slow Saturday afternoon I might let it simmer for several hours to really bring out the flavor. Or, on a busy weeknight I may just dump all of the ingredients into a dutch oven and have it on the table 30 minutes later.
No matter how it's served, it will always taste delicious. Keep reading to learn how to make this delicious grilled cheese and tomato soup combo!
Grilled Cheese And Tomato Soup Ingredients
Tomato Soup Ingredients
Canned whole tomatoes
Canned diced tomatoes
Unsalted butter - Salted will also work, I just prefer to add the salt on my own.
Heavy cream - Unsweetened coconut milk is an alternative for heavy cream as well as a cheaper pantry option, too.
Cream cheese - Use original, full fat cream cheese for the best creamy, rich flavor.
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Fresh basil for serving (optional)
Sweet onion
Bay leaf
Garlic cloves
Maple syrup (not pictured)- Honey, granulated sugar, or brown sugar also work. Amounts may need to be altered for honey specifically as the taste is slightly different.
Salt
Pepper
Sourdough Grilled Cheese Ingredients
Sourdough Artisan Bread - This is my go to sourdough loaf recipe! Other great bread ideas for grilled cheese would be sourdough sandwich bread, no knead bread, or an artisan yeast loaf.
Cheddar cheese
Unsalted butter
Tools You May Need
Soup spoon or ladle
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a comfort food. Warm soup paired with a melty sandwich will warm your tummy and your soul.
It's affordable to make! This tomato soup recipe uses canned tomatoes as well as mostly pantry staple items. There's also alternatives you can add (see below) to make it even more cost affective.
There's no processed ingredients. Tomato soup can be made without loads of sugar and processed foods, and this recipe is proof! We use natural sugar and loads of herbs to make the flavors pop.
Little hands on time is required. Other than dicing an onion and chopping some basil, this recipe is mostly hands free. Leave it to simmer on the stove for as long as you'd like!
It can be made quickly for a busy weeknight dinner. While the flavor will be better the longer this tomato soup simmers, it can certainly be made and eaten in about 30 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner!
Grilled Cheese And Tomato Soup FAQs
Is tomato soup good with grilled cheese?
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is an easy and classic American comfort food meal. After World War II, it was enjoyed by many military personnel and their families. Clearly the pair is still enjoyed very much today.
What soup pairs well with grilled cheese?
Tomato soup pairs well with a grilled cheese. To make tomato soup, sautée diced onion in butter. Then add in fresh minced garlic cloves. Stir in canned whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil and one bay leaf. After simmering, blend with heavy cream and maple syrup. Stir in cream cheese and serve with grilled cheese.
What is the best bread for grilled cheese?
Best Bread For Grilled Cheese:
- Sourdough bread
- No knead bread
- Whole wheat bread
- Artisan loaf
- White sandwich bread
- Sourdough sandwich bread
- Brioche bread
How To Make Grilled Cheese And Tomato Soup
Tomato Soup Step-By-Step
Step 1: Begin by melting 3 tbs of butter in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium high heat.
Step 2: Sautée one diced onion until translucent and fragrant. Next, add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Once fragrant, add the dried oregano, dried basil, salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Coat the veggies in 2 tbs of flour until the flour is absorbed. Pour in 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 can of whole tomatoes as well as 1 bay leaf. Bring to a low boil and turn the heat back to low. Let the soup simmer for at least 30 minutes. The longer it simmers, the better the flavor will be.
Step 4: Once done simmering, remove the bay leaf and add the heavy cream. Use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth and creamy. Stir in the cream cheese and maple syrup. Before serving, allow the soup to heat the whole way through and garnish with fresh basil.
How To Make A Sourdough Grilled Cheese
Buttery, crunchy, cheesy perfection is about to be made when you follow this easy recipe!
Step 1: To begin, heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Then, cut 2 slices of artisan sourdough bread and generously butter one side of each slice.
Step 2: Once the cast iron skillet is hot, turn the heat down to medium and place one slice of bread, butter side down, into the skillet.
Step 3: Next, place 3-4 slices of sharp or medium cheddar cheese onto the sourdough bread. Then, top the cheese with the other slice of sourdough, butter side up.
Step 4: Cover the skillet and let the grilled cheese cook until the bottom is golden brown. After that, flip the grilled cheese, cover the skillet again, and let the grilled cheese cook until the other side is also golden brown.
Once both sides are golden brown, turn the heat off on the skillet and let the grilled cheese sit until the cheese has fully melted! Enjoy the best grilled cheese and tomato soup combo!
Optional Grilled Cheese Add-Ins
Level up your grilled cheese with one or more of these delicious flavor boosting add ins!
Arugula
Sliced tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt
Bacon
Turkey deli meat
Shredded chicken
Prosciutto
Did you like this grilled cheese and tomato soup classic comfort meal? Let us know in the comments below and share it on Pinterest with a friend!
Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a classic American comfort food meal! Try out this better than Campbell's creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese combo.
Ingredients
- 1 28oz can whole tomatoes
- 1 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz room temp softened cream cheese
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped for serving
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tbs dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbs all purpose flour
- 3 tbs butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 ½ tbs maple syrup
Sourdough Grilled Cheese
- 8 slices of homemade sourdough bread*
- cheddar cheese block
- 4 tbs butter
Instructions
- Melt 3 tbs of butter in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat until sizzling.
- Sautée diced onion until translucent and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Then, add in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the dried oregano, dried basil, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and cook for about a minute.
- Coat the veggies in 2 tbs of flour until the flour is absorbed. Pour in 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 can of whole tomatoes. Add 1 bay leaf.
- Bring to a low boil and turn the heat to low in order to let the soup simmer for at least 30 minutes *
- Once the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, remove the bay leaf and add the heavy cream. Use an immersion blender to blend the tomatoes until smooth.
- Stir in the softened cream cheese and maple syrup. Allow to heat the whole way through.
- Meanwhile, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Butter 4 slices of homemade bread. Cut 12 slices of cheese-3 for each sandwich.
- Place the sliced bread, butter side down, in the preheated skillet. Layer 3 pieces of cheese on each sandwich and top with the other slices of bread, butter side up.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom and then flip.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook until the other side is golden brown. Cover the skillet and let the sandwich cook until the cheese is melted. If you're concerned about the sandwich burning, turn off the burner and let the cheese continue to melt.
Notes
- The longer you let this soup simmer, the richer and more flavorful it will be. Let it simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to several hours.
- As an alternative to heavy cream, use unsweetened coconut milk.
- Any sandwich bread will work for the grilled cheese. Homemade sourdough will give the best flavor and texture, though!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1005Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1290mgCarbohydrates: 104gFiber: 9gSugar: 31gProtein: 23g
Nutritional facts are automatically generated and should only be considered as an estimate.
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