Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar

Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar.  Tomato Soup meets French Onion Soup. 

 

When I think of perfect pairings, one of the first things that come to mind is tomato soup + grilled cheese.  It's classic, nostalgic, comforting, and no matter what, it always ALWAYS hits. the. spot.  If I order tomato soup at a restaurant, it goes without saying that I'll also order a grilled cheese.  And if goes without saying that the best way to enjoy this killer combo is by dunking the grilled cheese into the soup with each bite.  Even as a small toddler, Caroline knew how to eat a grilled cheese and tomato soup.

One day while I was out running, thinking about food (as one does while running), inspiration hit.  What if I took the best part of French onion soup (the bread and melty cheese, obviously), and eliminate the middle man-extra step of dunking?  Serve tomato soup with the grilled cheese right on top!  And how is this not already a thing?  It seems so obvious and amazing.

This roasted tomato soup was absolutely fabulous on it's own, but when I added a thick slice of toasted sourdough bread and melted super sharp cheddar cheese over the top… well, it elevated it to pure bliss. This was a big BIG hit with my whole family, and I thoroughly enjoyed the leftovers the rest of the week.

So let's make this happen, shall we?  Next time you make tomato soup, slap some bread and cheese on top, throw it under the broiler, and prepare for your life to be changed.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar

Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar
Soup adapted from Annie's Eats
  • 3 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved with seeds scooped out
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 Tbs kosher salt
  • 1½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tbs unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • freshly shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Combine the tomato halves, ¼ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss well to combine.  Arrange the tomato halves in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes.

In a large stockpot or Dutch,  melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the butter over medium heat.   Add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the canned tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 40 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth.  (Alternatively, you can use a blender or food processor.  If you do, be sure to vent the steam and be very careful not to spill the hot liquid!)  Stir int he cream.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Preheat the broiler and ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls.  Toast the bread in the oven until it is just crisp and beginning to turn golden-brown.  Add a slice of bread to the top of each bowl of tomato soup, and sprinkle a few tablespoons of the cheese over the bread.  Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.


3 comments:

Josie said...

Totally with you - tomato soup and cheese belong together! This looks awesome!

Josie said...

I thought Ho Hum tomato soup. Well I am going to have to take that back BIG TIME. By goodness what a fab variation. Sometimes it's wonderful to be wrong. And this is one of those times!

Josie said...

There's a restaurant that I love that serves tomato soup EXACTLY like this!! It's the best.

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