“There is nothing grilled cheese and tomato soup can’t fix.”

I second that!  Grilled cheese and tomato soup might be the ultimate comfort food.

(alongside mashed potatoes and gravy…)

 

This recipe took 1st place at City Girl Farm’s Annual Harvest Party in September 2019.  I’m 2 for 2 at the harvest party cook-off, Wooohoo!  I also participated in Fall of 2016 with my White Chicken Chili recipe.  <<Recipe here, check it out!

Since September I’ve revised this recipe 4 or 5 times.  I perfected it in regards to consistency and flavor, it’s creamy and savory with a hint of herbs.

At the cook-off I named my garnish Grilled Cheese “Croutons” because I didn’t have time to make 20 fresh grilled cheese sandwiches LOL.  Carefully cut up a few grilled cheese sandwiches and place the 1″ cubes back on the skillet to toast.  Said “croutons” were fun for the kids and made this soup a hit at the party. 🙂

 

Take away notes!

Primary ingredients:

• Canned tomatoes
• Chicken broth
• Heavy whipping cream
• Seasonings/Bouillon 

After a few tries I decided to eliminate fresh onion and minced garlic for three reasons; 1. Smoother soup consistency, 2. Simplest method to aid in laziness, 3. Flavor remained the same.

You need a couple of tools to pull off the souping:

• A Powerful blender – puree undrained tomatoes straight out of the can
• An Immersion blender – final blend at the end just before adding heavy cream

To the soup lovers who might enjoy blending their own soup creations, an immersion blender is a ‘must have.’  You can find one on Amazon for under $30 here:

Immersion Blenders on Amazon for cheap!

 

Lastly, a few notes about the ingredients I use:

This product is a really cheap paste like ingredient that adds the “umami” flavor depth thing without putting MSG in the food. I use it for an array of dishes like homemade ramen bowls.

You can find “Better than Bouillon” at Costo, Walmart or even Amazon.com.

 

I really like the addition of thyme.  I crush it in the palm of my hand to release the oils prior to adding it.  A mortar and pestle work well for this part too.

 

After the soup is done simmering drizzle in high-quality olive oil for a silky effect.  Olive oil is SO good for you! ❤

 

At the end (prior to adding cream) use the immersion blender and get the consistency you prefer.

 

My baby likes goldfish crackers in her soup. 🥰

Enjoy!

 

Cream of Tomato Soup

• One 14 oz. can Hunt’s Petit Diced Tomatoes
• One 14 oz. can Hunt’s Petit Diced Tomatoes w/ Basil, Garlic & Oregano
• 2 cups (aka – 16 oz. or 1/2 qt.) Chicken Broth
• 2 teaspoons “Better than Bouillon” (*or 2 chicken bouillon cubes)
• 3/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 3/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 3 teaspoon Sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
• Dash of Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 3/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• S&P to taste

In a high power blender: blend both undrained cans of Hunt’s tomatoes on high speed until pureed.  In a large pot add tomatoes, chicken broth, better than bouillon, onion and garlic powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.  In the palm of your hand crush the thyme into tiny pieces to release the oils and then add it to the pot.  Bring it to a rolling boil, cover, and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

After simmering drizzle with olive oil.  Put the immersion blender directly into the pot and blend until you reach the desired consistency.  Lastly, stir in the heavy whipping cream and simmer on low until you reach desired temperature.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with a drizzle of heavy cream and fresh herbs.  Serve with grilled cheese, goldfish crackers, etc.

Grilled Cheese

Use a pre-sliced sourdough baguette.  Coat one slice with spreadable cream cheese and the other with thick slices of colby-jack cheese.  Instead of using butter on the outside of the bread try using mayonnaise for a crispier crust. 🙂

Soup recipe makes 6 one-cup servings.  Double the recipe to feed a crowd.