TOMATO BASIL SOUP AND GRILLED CHEESE
Ingredients
For the Grilled Cheese
- 4 slices of good quality bread from the bakery section of your grocery store (I used a seeded sourdough)
- 2 slices of muenster cheese
- 2 slices of gouda cheese
- 2 slices of cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch of thyme
For the Tomato Basil Soup
- 2-1/4 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1-1/4 lbs cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and fresh ground pepper
- 8 garlic cloves, left whole
- 2 small yellow onions, sliced
- 2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
For the Grilled Cheese
- Melt your butter in a sauce pan with your garlic, red pepper flakes, and thyme.
- Lightly simmer, careful not to burn the garlic, while you prepare your sandwiches.
- Lay your slices of bread out and spread ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard onto each slice
- On two of the slices of bread, add one slice of cheddar cheese, one slice of muenster cheese, and one slice of gouda cheese.
- Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese. The sides with the Dijon mustard should be touching the cheese.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the butter onto the top and bottom of both sandwiches until all the butter is gone.
- Heat a grill pan over medium heat.
- Cook your sandwiches until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
For the Tomato Basil Soup
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet with 3 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Place onion slices and garlic cloves on a rimmed baking sheet and mix with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place baking sheets in the oven and roast the onion and garlic for 20 minutes.
- Roast the tomatoes for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and pull the peel from the tomatoes.
- Pour the onions, garlic and peeled tomatoes into a dutch oven pot.
- Add 4 cups of vegetable broth and the basil.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add additional vegetable broth, if needed.
- Using a Vitamix or immersion blender, blend until smooth.
- Garnish with additional basil and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Notes
1. You can use whatever cheeses you’d like for the grilled cheese.
2. I made the soup one day early and let it chill overnight in the fridge. The flavors were amazing the next day.
Recipe by Regan Baroni at