Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese
Proper tomato soup, built on caramelised tomato paste and blended completely smooth, finished with just enough cream to round out the acidity.
The toasties get mayonnaise on the outside instead of butter, which sounds odd until you taste that deep, even, golden crust it browns into.
Two sharp cheeses inside, a double dunk in a bowl of soup that actually tastes homemade.
Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese
TOMATO SOUP & GRILLED CHEESE · SOUP · DINNER · EASY
The classic combo, done properly
Letting the tomato paste darken for the full 2 minutes before the canned tomatoes go in builds real depth into the soup, skip it and the base just tastes flat and acidic.
Mayonnaise on the outside of the toastie browns more reliably than butter, since it has a higher smoke point, giving you that deep golden crust without burning before the cheese has melted.
Blended completely smooth, this is proper restaurant-style tomato soup, not the tinned version, and it holds up well in the freezer for whenever you need it.
Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
Tomato Soup
- 30 ml Olive Oil
- 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 40 g Tomato Paste
- 800 g Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- 500 ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- 4 g Sugar
- 1 g Chilli Flakes Optional
- 2 g Smoked Paprika
- 125 ml Thickened Cream
- Seasoning to Taste
- Basil Leaves to Garnish
Grilled Cheese Toasties
- Thick Sourdough
- 80 g Sharp Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese Grated
- 50 g Gruyère Cheese Grated
- Unsalted Butter
- Mayonnaise
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft and golden.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens in colour and develops richness.
- Add canned tomatoes with their juice, stock, sugar, chilli flakes, and smoked paprika. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to reduce and intensify flavour.
- Transfer the soup carefully into a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth and silky. Return the pot to the stove, stir in the cream, and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
- For the toasties, mix the cheddar and gruyère. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread and mayonnaise on the other side.
- Divide the cheese mixture between two sandwiches, ensuring buttered sides face out.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place the sandwiches in the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes per side until golden and the cheese is fully melted.
- Rest for 1 minute before slicing. Serve alongside the hot tomato soup, finished with fresh basil.
Why mayonnaise instead of butter on the outside of the toastie?⌄
Mayo has a higher smoke point than butter, so it browns more reliably and evenly without burning before the cheese has fully melted. Butter alone still works if you'd rather skip it.
Is it safe to blend the soup while it's still hot?⌄
Only if your blender is rated for hot liquids. Blend in batches and never fill it more than halfway, hot liquid builds pressure and can push the lid off. Vent the lid or hold a folded towel over the top as you blend.
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?⌄
You can, but canned tomatoes are picked and processed at peak ripeness, so they usually give a more consistent, richer result than off-season fresh ones.
Can I use a different cheese in the toasties?⌄
Yes, any good melting cheese works. Gruyère brings a nuttier flavour that pairs particularly well with the tomato soup, so it's worth tracking down if you can.
