Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
Sweet roasted tomatoes and red pepper give this soup a rich, naturally savory flavor, while fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil keep it bright. The smooth tomato soup is paired with a crisp grilled cheese sandwich filled with melted mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan. This easy tomato soup recipe makes a comforting lunch or cozy dinner when you want something warm and satisfying.
🍽️ Servings: 2
Roasted Tomato Soup
- 300 g ripe tomato, quartered
- 62.5 g onion, finely chopped
- 62.5 g red bell pepper, quartered
- 5 g garlic, thinly sliced
- 150 g vegetable stock
- 5 g neutral oil
- 2.5 basil leaves (1.25 g), finely chopped
- 5 g extra virgin olive oil
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- 2 slices white sandwich bread (50 g)
- 15 g mozzarella, finely grated
- 5 g cheddar, finely grated
- 2.5 g Parmesan, finely grated
- 2.5 g neutral oil
- 5 g unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F.
- Arrange the tomatoes and red bell pepper on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2.5 g extra virgin olive oil and season with salt. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the edges are lightly charred and the vegetables have concentrated in flavor. Let the vegetables cool slightly, then peel the roasted bell pepper.
- Heat the neutral oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the roasted tomatoes and bell pepper. Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.
- Blend the soup until completely smooth, then pass it through a fine mesh sieve for a silky texture. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Combine the mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan. Spread the cheese evenly over one slice of bread and top with the second slice.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Add the neutral oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, place the sandwich in the skillet.
- Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, gently pressing the sandwich as it cooks, until the bread is deeply golden and crisp and the cheese is fully melted.
- Pour the hot soup into a bowl. Finish with the chopped basil, freshly ground black pepper, and the remaining 2.5 g extra virgin olive oil.
- Serve immediately with the hot grilled cheese sandwich.
Tips & More Info
Why roast the tomatoes and pepper?
Roasting drives off some of the vegetables' water while concentrating their natural sugars and savory flavors. The browned edges also add depth that you would not get from simply simmering everything in the stock.
Do not overcook the garlic
Garlic only needs about a minute before the roasted vegetables and stock go in. If it becomes deeply browned, it can develop a bitter flavor that is especially noticeable in a smooth soup.
Why pass the soup through a sieve?
Blending makes the soup smooth, but tomato seeds, skins, and small pieces of pepper can still leave a slightly rough texture. Passing it through a fine sieve removes those particles and gives the finished soup a much cleaner consistency.
Keep the grilled cheese on medium low heat
A common mistake is using high heat to brown the bread quickly. The outside can become dark before the cheese has enough time to melt, leaving you with a crisp sandwich and a firm cheese center.
Grate all three cheeses finely
Fine shreds melt faster and distribute more evenly throughout the sandwich. The combination also gives you mozzarella for stretch, cheddar for flavor, and Parmesan for a more savory finish.
Why use butter with oil?
Butter gives the bread its rich toasted flavor, while the neutral oil makes the cooking fat more tolerant of the skillet's heat. Together they help the bread brown evenly without the butter burning too quickly.