Classic Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Course:
Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine:
American
Yield:
2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
For Tomato Soup
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- ½ yellow onion (medium dice)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 fresh bay leaf (sub dry)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 lbs. beefsteak tomatoes (sub canned tom) (cored and large dice)
- 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. chives
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For Grilled Cheese
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 6 oz. cheddar cheese (grated)
- 4 slices white bread (chef recommends Martin’s potato bread)
DIRECTIONS:
FOR THE SOUP
- Sweat the onion and garlic, thyme and bay leaf with the olive oil and butter over medium / high heat in the medium saucepan.
- When the onions are soft and translucent (about 10 minutes). add the tomato paste and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Add the white wine and tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomatoes soften and lose their juice (about 6 minutes). Add the water and cream and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
- Discard the thyme stems and bay leaf from the soup then blend on high until smooth. Strain back into the pot and season with the red wine vinegar and salt as needed.
- Garnish in the bowl with the sliced chives and freshly ground black pepper.
FOR THE GRILLED CHEESE
- Melt ½ tbsp. butter in a cast iron pan over a medium low heat. Toast the bread in the pan until golden brown (about 1 minute) flip the bread and add the cheese to the toasted side, add another ½ tbsp. of butter and toast the outsides until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).