Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons is a fun twist on the classic. Instead of serving the soup with a regular sized grilled cheese I make little “croutons” to top the soup with so everyone gets a bite sized sandwich.
As I thrust this only half indulgent recipe toward you, I’m currently on Class Pass (I’m a new joiner) scheduling out all of my workouts for the next week. This is an attempt to balance out my grilled cheese crouton eating with cycling, kicking and boxing and dance moves in this West African dance class I’m contemplating on trying.
These grilled cheese croutons are straight out of Pinterest 2012. It’s not an idea that I invented by any means but when I saw it loooong ago on Pinterest, I thought: GENIUS! It took me forever to actually do it but I finally did; I think it’s best I waited so long. The idea is so old, it’s almost new again.
Just like recycled fashions.
Everyone and their mom is saying that summer is over. And I suppose it is but it’s still tomato season. Actually, September is when tomatoes are at their best (I think).
What kind of tomatoes are best for tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons?
I used roma tomatoes for this but you can use any that you like. Heirloom would be nice, though I discourage you from mixing too many colors because heirlooms are super pretty on their own but if mix all those colors together for a soup, it just looks a little grey and gross.
How to roast tomatoes for soup:
- Prep the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half and place cut side up on a baking sheet.
- Season. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Roast. In a hot oven for 25-30 minutes.
How to make Roasted Tomato Soup:
- Roast the tomatoes. Place sliced tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast until they’ve softened.
- Cook the aromatics. Sauté the shallots then add the garlic, tomatoes, chicken stock, and thyme.
- Simmer to marry the flavor. Simmer everything together for 10-15 minutes to bring all the flavors together.
- Blend. I find that using an immersion blender is the easiest way to blend soup but if you don’t have an immersion blender you can carefully blend the soup in batches.
- Basil oil. Make the basil oil by blending the basil and olive oil in a blender and pouring it through a strainer. This is an important part of the soup!
- Serve. Add soup to bowls and drizzle with basil oil and top with grilled cheese croutons.
How to Freeze Tomato Soup with grilled cheese croutons:
Soup freezes so well. Let it cool completely then place it in a zip top bag. Place the bag on a baking sheet so it’s flat then transfer to the freezer to freeze completely. Once frozen, remove the baking sheet and stack the bags. For the grilled cheese croutons, there’s no freezing, make those fresh!
What are grilled cheese croutons and why are they amazing?
Grilled cheese croutons are little bite sized grilled cheese sandwiches for your soup. You can switch up the cheese and bread to make whatever flavors you want. I love them because it just makes it a one bowl situation without sacrificing the whole grilled cheese.
Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons Recipe
Ingredients
Roasted Tomato Soup:
- 3 pounds roma tomatoes halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt
- 2 shallots peeled and minced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 14-ounce can San Marzano crushed or diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 sprigs of thyme leaves removed
Basil Oil:
- 6 large leaves of fresh basil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Grilled Cheese Croutons:
- 1 to 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 slices of bread
- 2 to 3 slices of American cheese
Instructions
- To make the soup: Preheat oven 425 F. Place tomato halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle them with the olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Transfer them to the oven to roast for 25 to 30 minutes.
- In a pot, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil glistens, add the shallots. Cook the shallots until they’re soft and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Next, roasted tomatoes, garlic, 2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes, can of tomatoes, chicken stock and thyme leaves. Bring to a simmer, cook for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, pulse until smooth. (You can also transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender and pulse until smooth. Just be careful blending hot liquids, make sure you allow some steam to escape.) Salt to taste (I added about 1 to 2 teaspoons).
- To make the basil oil: To a blender, add basil and olive oil. Blend until pureed. Pour the oil through sieve, discarding any of the basil bits. The oil should be bright and green. Set aside.
- To make the grilled cheese croutons: Well, you know how to make a grilled cheese, but I’ll tell you anyway! Set a saute pan over medium-low heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan. Assemble the grilled cheese sandwiches. Add the sandwiches (you may need to cook them in batches or one by one) to the pan. Cook until golden brown on one side and then flip. Cover the pan with a lid to ensure maximum meltiness. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining grilled cheese sandwiches. To make the croutons, cut them into squares.
- To assemble: Divide the soup amongst bowls. Add a few croutons to the center of the bowl and drizzle with basil oil. Serve with the croutons on the side because one or two is not enough!
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make the roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons? Let me know on Instagram!
Looking for more soup recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
YESSSS this is all of my dreams come true. ALL.
The roasted tomatoes look so beautiful. Definitely giving this a try as the weather warms up in Australia X
This one from Ina is a favorite at my house. Very similar but a tad fancier.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/easy-tomato-soup-grilled-cheese-croutons-recipe.html
Looks amazing! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I cannot WAIT to make this!! In New England, the weather is going to start changing, and I personally cannot wait for fall! Thanks for the amazing soup recipe!