This nostalgic combo is pure comfort, delivering all the cozy and warm feelings you love. Below, I have a recipe for a simple yet delicious creamy tomato soup (which you can freeze for later) and a buttery, crispy sourdough grilled cheese.
Recipe Highlights
Freezer Friendly: The soup freezes very well, and you can even make and freeze the grilled cheese sandwiches. I have a section on how to do so below!
Classic Tomato Soup: Creamy tomato soup made with canned tomatoes, onion, carrots, red bell peppers, garlic, and spices. It's perfect for any grilled cheese.
Easy Grilled Cheese: 3 simple, high-quality ingredients that make the best-grilled cheese!
Sound Good? Jump to RecipeIngredients & Substitutions
- Whole San Marzano Canned Tomatoes - I like to use San Marzano tomatoes because they are prized for their sweet, low-acid flavor and thick, meaty texture. I like using whole tomatoes because they retain more of their natural flavor and texture. All that being said, I think whole San Marzano Canned Tomatoes will give you the best flavor for your soup, but if you can't find them, regular whole or crushed tomatoes will work, too!
- Red Bell Pepper - It adds a little natural sweetness to the soup but also enhances the soup's color.
- Yellow Onion - Adds depth and a little sweetness to the soup; you can also use it while the onion is cooking.
- Vegetable Broth - You can also use chicken broth. I wouldn't use beef broth because of its strong flavor and murky color.
- Heavy Cream - Adds a richness and creaminess to the soup. You can also use half and half or milk, but the soup won't be as creamy. If you don't want to add any dairy to the soup, you can substitute it with more broth until you get the desired consistency.
- Sourdough Bread - The best grilled cheese is made with sourdough bread. White bread is a good substitute. Since grilled cheese is just three ingredients, you want a good quality bread, usually fresh from the deli section.
- Cheddar Cheese - Again, you want the highest quality cheese you can find to make the best grilled cheese. You can use Kraft American cheese, but I love using shredded cheddar cheese from quality brands.
Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below
How to Make Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Step 1 | Cook Veggies
Cook onion, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic until soft.
Step 2 | Add Tomatoes and Seasoning
Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 3 | Blend
Blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or let the soup cool until warm and blend in a countertop blender. Stir in the heavy cream and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4 | Make Grilled Cheese
Butter one side of each bread slice. Place the butter side down in a skillet, add cheese, and top with another slice, then butter side up. Cover and cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.
Tips & Notes
Tip 1: Do not blend hot soup in a countertop blender. Let it cool first and keep the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape safely.
Tip 2: Cover your grilled cheese while cooking to make sure the cheese melts before the bread burns.
Tip 3: Melt a small amount of butter in the skillet, swirl to coat the pan, and place one slice of bread in the melted butter. Add the cheese and top with another slice of bread. Place a small amount of cold butter on top of the sandwich to soften while the first side toasts.
Freezer Friendly!
Prep: Make the tomato soup and allow it to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Portion into smaller servings for easier reheating.
Freeze: Store the soup in the freezer for up to 3 months. Grilled cheese sandwiches are best made fresh, but you can freeze pre-assembled sandwiches (uncooked and buttered) by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and then foil.
Cook: To reheat the soup, warm it on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave. For grilled cheese, microwave a frozen sandwich for 15 seconds. Then, toast in a preheated skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side.
Common Questions
This recipe makes eight cups of tomato soup and four grilled cheese sandwiches.
The tomato soup is good for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat on low on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
Tried this recipe? Let everyone know how it turned out! Your feedback and tips help others decide if they should make it.
Classic Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
Tomato Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cup diced yellow onion about 1 medium onion
- ½ cup carrot thinly sliced about 1 large carrot
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 28-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt + more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper + more to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream
Grilled Cheese
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 4 tablespoons butter soften
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or 8 slices of cheese
Instructions
To Make Tomato Soup (8 Cups of Soup)
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrot, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes, breaking them up with a spatula. Stir in the vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender.
- Blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or let the soup cool until warm and blend in a countertop blender with the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape.*
- Stir in the heavy cream and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
To Make Grilled Cheese
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- If using softened butter: Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice, butter side down, in the skillet. Add cheese on top, then place another slice of bread on top, butter side up.If using cold butter: Melt a small amount of butter in the skillet, swirl to coat the pan, and place a slice of bread in the melted butter. Add cheese and top with another slice of bread. Add cold butter on top to soften up while the bread toasts.
- Cover the pan with a lid to help the cheese melt evenly before the bread burns. Cook until the bread is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Serve hot alongside the creamy tomato soup.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and may vary based on the ingredients used.
Debbie says
Weather is getting cold gratcomfort meal. Soup is very tasty!! Used Tillamook smoked chedder. very yummy meal