Creamy Tomato Soup Cheese (Printable Version)
Velvety tomato soup paired with golden, melty grilled cheese dippers perfect for cozy meals.
# What You Need:
→ Creamy Tomato Soup
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 carrot, peeled and diced
05 - 2 cans (14 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
06 - 2 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 teaspoon sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Grilled Cheese Dippers
14 - 8 slices sandwich bread
15 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
16 - 8 slices cheddar cheese, or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella
# How to Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, minced garlic, and diced carrot. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
02 - Add crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, sugar, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Remove pot from heat and blend soup until smooth using an immersion blender or a countertop blender in batches.
04 - Stir in heavy cream and unsalted butter. Return soup to low heat and warm through, adjusting seasoning as needed.
05 - Butter one side of each bread slice. Assemble sandwiches by placing cheese slices between two bread slices, buttered sides facing outward.
06 - Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook sandwiches until golden brown and cheese is melted, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.
07 - Remove sandwiches from skillet and let cool for 1 minute. Cut each sandwich into strips to create dippers.
08 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve alongside the grilled cheese dippers.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It's ready in under an hour but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
- The grilled cheese dippers turn it into something fun and interactive, not just soup.
- One pot plus one skillet means minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.
02 -
- Don't skip the immersion blender step; a lumpy soup defeats the whole purpose of creamy tomato.
- Butter the bread generously and cook over medium, not high heat, so the cheese has time to actually melt before the outside burns.
03 -
- Taste the soup before adding the cream; adjust salt and pepper then so you don't overdo it once the cream mellows everything.
- Use a medium skillet for the grilled cheese so you have room to flip without the sandwich falling apart.