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Easy Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Recipe– perfect for a chilly day or whenever you’re in the mood for something warming and satisfying. This duo is a classic, with the rich, velvety tomato soup perfectly complementing the crispy, gooey grilled cheese.
Best Tomato Soup
You’ll love this recipe for easy tomato soup for several delightful reasons:
- Epitomy of Comfort Food: This classic pairing delivers the ultimate comfort food experience. Warm, creamy tomato soup paired with a crispy, gooey, melty cheese sandwich is pure coziness in a bowl and plate, perfect for lifting your spirits on a cold day or when you just need a little hug in a bowl.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Everyone from kids to adults loves the comforting combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese. It’s a surefire hit for family meals, casual gatherings, or a simple meal that needs to impress without too much fuss.
- Soup for All-Season: While particularly perfect for chilly weather, this soup and sandwich duo is delightful year-round. Enjoy it as a comforting treat in winter or a nostalgic, simple supper in the summer.
- Nutritious: Made with wholesome ingredients like tomatoes, onions, and garlic, the soup is not only tasty but also offers vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it a nutritious choice that feels indulgent.
You’ll also love my blender tomato soup recipe.
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
Together, these ingredients create a comforting homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Ingredients for Creamy Tomato Soup:
- Butter: Adds richness and a silky texture to the soup, enhancing the mouthfeel and flavor.
- Olive oil: Provides a fruity base note, helping to sauté the onions and garlic while contributing to the overall depth of flavor.
- Yellow onion: A fundamental aromatic that offers a sweet and savory foundation to the soup. Sweet onion is another option.
- Garlic cloves: Impart a pungent, spicy undertone that complements the sweetness of the tomatoes and onions.
- San Marzano whole tomatoes: Known for their sweet flavor and low acidity, these tomatoes provide a robust and velvety base for the soup. Make sure to get a good-quality can of tomatoes!
- Chicken stock or vegetable broth: Adds depth and enriches the soup’s body, serving as the liquid base that carries all the flavors.
- Fresh basil: Brings a fresh, peppery, and slightly sweet flavor that brightens the tomato base.
- Sugar: Helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, enhancing their natural sweetness.
- Black pepper: Adds a mild heat and pungency, providing a subtle complexity to the soup.
- Heavy whipping cream or coconut milk: Introduces a creamy texture and slight sweetness, smoothing out the flavors and adding a luxurious finish.
- Parmigiano cheese (parmesan cheese): Used for serving.
Ingredients for the Ultimate Grilled Cheese:
- Sourdough bread is chosen for its tangy flavor and sturdy texture, which hold up well when grilled and complement the richness of the melted cheese. You can use any crusty bread or softer bread of choice. Make sure the bread slices are thick.
- Butter: Crucial for achieving a golden, crispy exterior on the bread while adding flavor.
- Your favorite cheeses: The mix of mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, and provolone allows for a gooey, stretchy texture with a complex flavor profile. Pick one or mix a couple of slices of each.
- Optional: Fresh pesto: Adds a vibrant, herby, and nutty layer to the sandwich, enhancing the cheese with its rich basil and garlic notes.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Soup
Both the soup and the sandwich are straightforward, requiring basic cooking skills and rewarding results. This makes the recipe perfect for both weeknight dinners and leisurely weekend lunches. See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
Saute the onion and garlic in the pan with olive oil.
Add the canned tomatoes.
Pour the broth into the pot.
Mix until combined.
Add the heavy cream and stir.
Stir until smooth and combined.
How to Make Perfect Grilled Cheese
Butter the outside of the bread.
Add the cheese on top of the non-buttered side.
Add the other slice of bread with the butter side up.
Cook on both sides and enjoy with your soup.
Variations
Tomato Soup Variations:
- Spicy Tomato Soup: Add red pepper flakes, chopped jalapeños, or a dash of hot sauce to give the soup a spicy kick.
- Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup: Instead of using minced garlic, roast a whole head of garlic and squeeze the soft, caramelized cloves into the soup for a deeper, sweeter garlic flavor.
Ultimate Grilled Cheese Variations:
- Pesto Grilled Cheese: Spread a thin layer of pesto on the inside of the bread before adding the cheese to infuse herbal notes.
- Three-Cheese Grilled Cheese: Combine mozzarella, cheddar, and a sharp cheese like Gruyère or Emmental for a complex flavor and varied melting textures.
- Fig and Brie Grilled Cheese: Use creamy Brie and add a spread of fig jam for a sweet contrast to the savory melt.
How to Store and Reheat Soup
- Refrigerate: Pour the soup into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days.
- Freeze: For longer storage, creamy tomato soup freezes well. Pour it into freezer-safe bags or containers, leaving some space at the top as the soup will expand when frozen. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Reheat the soup on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally. If the soup has thickened too much during storage, you can thin it with a little bit of broth or water.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
Tips for Creamy Tomato Soup:
- Use Quality Tomatoes: The quality of the tomatoes is crucial. San Marzano tomatoes are ideal for their sweet flavor and low acidity, but any high-quality canned tomatoes will work well.
- Simmer Slowly: Allow the soup to simmer gently. This helps the flavors meld together beautifully and reduces the acidity of the tomatoes naturally.
- Blend Thoroughly: For a truly smooth texture, make sure to blend the soup thoroughly. An immersion blender does this directly in the pot, minimizing mess and ensuring a uniform texture.
- Finish with Freshness: Adding fresh basil just before serving maintains its vibrant flavor and color, giving the soup a fresh, aromatic lift.
Tips for the Ultimate Grilled Cheese:
- Butter is Better: Generously butter the outside of the bread to ensure a golden, crispy crust. Room-temperature butter spreads more evenly without tearing the bread.
- Choose the Right Cheese: Shredded cheese melts quicker than sliced. Use a good melting cheese such as cheddar, mozzarella, or provolone. Combining different cheeses can add depth of flavor and perfect meltiness.
- Control the Heat: Cook the grilled cheese over medium heat. Too hot, and the bread burns before the cheese melts; too low, and the sandwich can become greasy.
FAQ
Absolutely. If using fresh tomatoes, choose ripe, flavorful varieties. You may want to roast them first to deepen their flavor and make them easier to blend.
Cheeses that melt well, like American cheese, cheddar, Gouda, Grueyer, Monterey jack, and provolone, are ideal. A mix of cheeses can add depth of flavor and texture.
Adding a little more sugar, honey, or a splash of heavy cream can help balance the acidity without significantly altering the soup’s flavor profile.
More Soup Recipes
Looking for other recipes? Try these:
What else goes with grilled cheese and tomato soup?
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this creamy tomato soup recipe:
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Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This meal is not only a crowd-pleaser but also brings a touch of gourmet to a familiar comfort food, making it perfect for sharing with family and friends. Enjoy the creamy, tangy flavors of the soup with the crispy, melty delights of the grilled cheese for a truly delcious meal!
Ingredients
Creamy Tomato Soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 56 oz San Marzano crushed tomatoes (two, 28-oz cans)
- 2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian option)
- 1/4 cup + extra for serving chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk for a dairy-free option)
- Freshly grated parmigiano cheese for serving
Ultimate Grilled Cheese (makes 8 halves):
- 8 slices sourdough bread (or any thick, hearty bread of your choice)
- 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 lb. of your favorite cheese(s) (Monterey jack, mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, provolone, Gryuere, American, or a mix). Tip: Freshly shredded cheese melts faster than sliced.
- Optional: Fresh pesto for spreading inside the grilled cheese
Instructions
For the Creamy Tomato Soup:
- Heat the Base: In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the Tomatoes: Pour in the tomatoes (along with their juice). Add the chicken stock, sugar, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Blend the Soup: After the soup has simmered, use an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup to a blender in batches, but be careful with the hot liquid.
- Add Cream and Basil: Stir in the heavy cream (or coconut milk) and basil and heat through. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more sugar or pepper if needed.
- Garnish and Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with additional chopped basil for a fresh touch. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmigiano.
For the Ultimate Grilled Cheese:
- Butter the Bread: Spread butter on one side of each bread slice. This side will be the outer part of the sandwich that gets grilled to golden perfection.
- Assemble the Sandwiches: On the non-buttered sides, add your chosen cheeses, and if using, spread a thin layer of pesto. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side up.
- Grill the Sandwiches: Heat a skillet over low-medium heat. Place the sandwiches in the skillet and cook until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted, about 5-7 minutes per side. Press down lightly with a spatula for even grilling.
- Serve Hot: Cut the grilled cheese sandwiches into halves, quarters, or bite-size croutons and serve immediately with the hot tomato soup.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Savory
- Method: Italian
- Cuisine: American
Can this recipe be made with fresh tomatoes? Thank you!
Yes! Absolutely.
Our family eats this recipe often, and we love it! I know you’ll love it too!