Ina Garten Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Recipe
This recipe is made by slowly cooking onions and garlic, simmering them with tomatoes and stock, then blending the soup until smooth and finishing it with cream and basil. While the soup simmers, sandwiches are made by buttering bread, layering cheese, and grilling until crisp on the outside and melted inside. Served together, the soup and sandwich complement each other perfectly.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Tomato Soup
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Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
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Butter – 2 tablespoons
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Onion – 1 large, chopped
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Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
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Canned whole tomatoes – 800 g (28 oz), with juices
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Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon
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Vegetable stock or chicken stock – 500 ml (2 cups)
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Salt – to taste
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Black pepper – to taste
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Sugar – 1 teaspoon (optional)
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Double cream or heavy cream – 240 ml (1 cup)
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Fresh basil – ½ cup, torn
For the Grilled Cheese
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Bread slices – 8
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Cheddar cheese – 200 g (2 cups), grated or sliced
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Unsalted butter – 4 tablespoons, softened
Instructions
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Build the soup base – Heat olive oil and butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft.
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Add garlic gently – Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Simmer the soup – Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, salt, pepper, and sugar if using. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
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Blend until smooth – Blend the soup until silky, then return to low heat and stir in cream and basil.
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Prepare sandwiches – Butter one side of each bread slice, layer cheese between slices, butter-side out.
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Grill to perfection – Cook sandwiches in a skillet over medium heat until golden on both sides and cheese is melted.
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Serve together – Ladle soup into bowls and serve hot with grilled cheese on the side.