Grilled Cheese & Homemade Tomato Soup: The Perfect Comfort Food for Fall

Guest Post by Katie Parker of Veggie and the Beast

With the arrival of chilly evenings and cooler weather, I’m craving comfort foods. Warm soup and a hot sandwich hit the spot. Personally I love that ultimate combo—homemade tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

With local tomatoes and fresh basil in season at your local co-op, now is the time to make homemade tomato soup. I pair mind with a pesto-goat cheese-mozzarella cheese sandwich. Here are my favorite recipes for this perfect pairing.

Homemade Tomato Soup

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

3 carrots, shredded (about 2 cups)

6 tomatoes, chopped (about 5 cups)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon cane sugar

Several turns freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1/2-1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup half and half

 

Goat Cheese, Pesto, and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

Serves 4

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

2 cups packed basil

1/4-1/2 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)

Several turns freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

2-3 tablespoon olive oil

8 slices hearty whole grain bread

8 teaspoons butter, softened

4 ounces herbed goat cheese, softened

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

 

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the garlic, shallots, and a pinch of the salt, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Pour in the carrots, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, vegetable broth, sugar, pepper and remaining salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, get the sandwiches ready. In a food processor, pulse together the pine nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add the basil, salt, and pepper, and process again until finely chopped. Pour in the olive oil with the processor running, scraping down the sides as necessary, until smooth.

Spread 1 teaspoon of softened butter on 1 side of each piece of bread. Flip each piece over, and then coat 4 pieces with the softened goat cheese, and the other 4 with the pesto. Divide the sliced mozzarella across the goat-cheese slices, then top each with a slice of the pesto bread. Press together.

After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the soup back to the pot, reserving 1/2 cup in a small bowl. Whisk the flour into the reserved 1/2 cup until no clumps remain – this will be your slurry that will help thicken the soup. Pour the slurry into the soup pot, along with the half and half. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, whisking frequently.

While the homemade tomato soup is doing its final simmer, cook the sandwiches either in a panini press on the medium-high setting until golden and melted (about 5-7 minutes), or in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Cut in half and serve with the homemade tomato soup topped with chopped basil. Enjoy!

Here are the local brands that I used:

• Featherstone Farm carrots and tomatoes
• Localize basil
• Organic Valley half and half
• Breadsmith Trail Bread
• Poplar Farms Goat Cheese
• Lakewinds Mozzarella

What’s your favorite soup-sandwich combination? Or do you have a favorite homemade tomato soup recipe? I’d love to hear your comments below.