Tomato Soup & Classic Grilled Cheese
For the Tomato Soup:
Recommended Videos
4 tablespoons butter
1 big yellow onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and shredded using a box grater
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
½ tablespoon granulated sugar
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed, chopped very fine
¼ cup heavy cream, kept warm
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Melt the butter in a pot. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until dark red. Add the chopped tomatoes and the juices from the can, the chicken stock, sugar and thyme leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until veggies are tender. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. If using a regular blender work in batches and be careful as hot liquid can splatter. Stir the warm cream into the tomato soup and taste for seasoning.
For the Grilled Cheese:
Sturdy loaf of white bread, like an Italian style or similar), sliced into ½ to¾-inch thick slices
Fontina cheese, sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
Gruyere cheese, sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
Cheddar cheese (nothing too aged so it melts well), sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
room temperature butter, as needed
Layer a piece of bread with a few slices of each cheese, making sure to evenly layer the cheese over the entire slice. Top with another piece of bread. Butter the outside of both slices of bread generously. Place in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat and cook until golden brown, flip the sandwich over carefully and repeat. If the cheese hasn’t melted when done, shut off the heat and cover the pan for 1 minute. Remove the sandwich from the pan and let sit for 1 minute before slicing.