Charred Tomato Soup with Herb Cream & Crispy Grilled Cheese

Let’s talk tomato soup & grilled cheese.

An elevated recipe that still feels like home.

There’s something about tomato soup and grilled cheese that feels like home, but when it comes to comfort food I love finding simple ways to elevate it without loosing that familiar warmth.

I start with a cast iron skillet to char the onions and garlic to be able to later layer in those smoky caramelized flavors thro. Splash of chicken stock, can crushed tomatoes, simmer that down with a bay leaf, and fresh herbs until everything infuses together. To elevate this traditional recipe I made an herb infused cream; garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. I actually sued a lactose free cream that tastes almost identical to regular cream.

Now, you can’t have tomato soup without a grilled cheese. For this recipe, I used what I had available in my fridge: shredded Mexican blend, Havarti and Gouda.

The secret to a perfect crust? Mayo. A chef I worked with back in college when I was bartending at a country club taught me this trick and it’s been my go to ever since.

Charred Tomato Soup with Herb Cream & Crispy Grilled Cheese

Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 Spanish onion, sliced

• 5 garlic cloves, peeled.

• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

• Salt/pepper to taste

• Bundle of Oregano, rosemary & thyme

For the Herb cream

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1/2 shallot (optional)

• 2x spring Rosemary

• 2x spring Thyme

• 2x spring Oregano

• Salt/pepper to taste

For the Grilled cheese

• 2x slices sourdough bread.

• 2 tbsp mayo

• 1/4 cup shredded Mexican blend

• 5 slices Havarti

• 5 slices Gouda

• 2 tbsp mayo

  
  

Directions.

For the Soup:

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic. Cook until slightly charred.

2. Add in remaining ingredients.

3. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

4. Remove the bay leaves and blend until smooth. An immersion blender works but I prefer a blender.

5. Adjust seasoning to taste.

For the Herb cream:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.

2. Heat over a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Do not boil.

3. Remove herbs before drizzle.

**I prefer to over salt the herb cream.

For the grilled cheese:

1. Spread mayo on the outside of both bread slices.

2. On a medium heat crisp up one side. Flip once golden brown and begin to layer the cheese.

3. Cook until both sides are golden brown and crisp on both sides.

To serve:

Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with herb cream and finish with black pepper. Don’t forget to dip your grilled cheese!