Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese Dunkers

Nothing says comfort to me like grilled cheese and tomato soup. I used to eat this when I was sick, when we had snow days, or when I just wanted something tasty. The version I ate growing up came from a can and from plastic wrapped cheese, but this recipe will still give you the nostalgia factor, just with fresh ingredients. For the soup, I roast the tomatoes to bring out their juices and flavors before blending them in to a creamy, dreamy soup! The grilled cheese is just as cheesy as those kraft singles you used to eat, but this one features a blend of 3 cheese and a buttery, crunchy sourdough. This comes together pretty quickly once you roast the tomatoes and will put a smile on everyone’s face. Make a big pot and keep it on hand for those cold days or during the week when you just don’t feel like cooking!

For the Soup:

• 2 Lbs Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 Lb Campari Tomatoes
• 4 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil, Chiffonade
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
• Salt + Pepper, To Taste

For the Grilled Cheese:

• 8 Slices Sourdough
• 1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar
• 1 Cup Shredded Medium Cheddar
• 1 Cup Shredded Sharp White Cheddar
• 4-6 Tbsp Butter

• Serves: 4-6
• Prep Time: 30 Minutes
• Cook Time: 20 Minutes
• Total Time: 50 Minutes

To Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large, oven safe dish, add the cherry and campari tomatoes. Add in the olive oil, minced garlic, 1/4 cup basil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix to coat the tomatoes evenly and place the dish in the oven to roast for 25 minutes.
3. When the tomatoes are roasted, remove the dish from the oven. Using a slotted spoon (this will help remove any excess water/oil from roasting), transfer the tomatoes to a large pot. Gently smash the tomatoes with a the spoon.
4. Using an immersion blender, carefully start blending the tomatoes until smooth. *if you do not have an immersion blender, you can blend the tomatoes in a regular blender, just be extra careful as the tomatoes can splatter and are extremely hot!
5. Next, add in the heavy cream, sugar, and 2 tbsp basil to the blended tomatoes and taste to adjust the salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and heat on low until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.
6. Now let’s make the grilled cheese. In a medium bowl, add the 3 cheeses and stir to combine.
7. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add in 1 tbsp of butter. Add two slices of bread and top each piece with a generous helping of shredded cheese (about 1/2-3/4 cup per piece of bread) then top with another slice of bread. Cook for 6 minutes.
8. After 6 minutes, let’s flip the grilled cheese – but you will want to add more butter before flipping, so remove the grilled cheeses from the pan, add another 1 tbsp of butter, then add the grilled cheese back to the pan uncooked side down and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
9. Once both sides are golden, remove from the pan and slice each grilled cheese in to 4 pieces.
10. Repeat steps 7-9 until all the grilled cheese have been cooked.
11. Once the grilled cheeses are ready, divide the soup between 4 bowls and serve each bowl with 4 dunkers!