Tomato soup and a grilled cheese. No matter how grown up I am it’s still the best lunch ever on a cold, gray day.
To make this quintessential comfort food even more soul-warming, skip the stuff in the can and make it from scratch. Not from fresh tomatoes or anything – I’m not going to work that hard for a bowl of soup – but even when it’s made with canned tomatoes, homemade makes a huge difference.
My version starts with chicken broth, thickened with an oniony roux. Instead of tomato sauce, I use a combination of velvety pureed tomatoes and – my secret ingredient – V8 juice, for a subtle but noticeable boost to the herby tomato flavor. A hint of honey is enough to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Finish with a handful of minced basil and an optional splash of heavy cream.
At this time of year, the best basil comes from hydroponically grown plants. I keep one on my windowsill for most of the winter, dreaming of next summer’s garden.
And what about the grilled cheese? I’m not saying it’s essential to serve a grilled cheese with this soup, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. You probably already know how to make one, but just in case I’ve written up a quick recipe at the bottom of the post.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Tomato Basil Soup will keep 5 days in the fridge, so make it ahead or keep leftovers within that range. It also freezes well.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring frequently.
For a slight variation on this recipe, I make this same soup with a little less basil and a little more cream, and the grilled cheese sandwich on top of the soup instead of on the side. It might sound weird but if you’re a tomato soup and grilled cheese lover you gotta try it.
Tomato Basil Soup
This is a very thick soup. If you want it thinner, stir in a little more chicken broth to reach your desired consistency. Either way, be sure to stir frequently while it simmers, to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup finely minced onion (1 small onion)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 6 ounces V8 juice
- 28 ounces tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco), or more to taste
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus additional fresh basil for a garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Melt the butter in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2 When the onion is soft, add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Step 3 Stir in the flour, oregano and paprika and cook the mixture for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth in the microwave for 3 minutes.
- Step 4 Add the hot broth and stir with a whisk until the mixture comes to a simmer. The mixture should be thick and smooth, with no lumps of flour.
- Step 5 Add the V8, tomato puree, honey and hot sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then maintain it at a low simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently, making sure to scrape the entire bottom of the pot so the soup doesn’t stick to the pot.
- Step 6 Add the cream (if using it) and basil and continue to simmer 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Step 7 Garnish each bowl with a sprig or a sprinkle of sliced fresh basil.
The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
- 8 slices soft but firm white sandwich bread
- 12 slices of American cheese
Directions
- Step 1 Heat a griddle or extra-large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Spread one side of each slice of the bread with butter, dividing it evenly and spreading it out to cover the entire surface of the bread. Lay four slices of bread on the griddle, butter side down. Lay the cheese slices over the bread, arranging the slices to fit on the bread. (I like to let some of the cheese extend out the sides of the sandwich and fall down onto the griddle, so it gets crispy. How much cheese you extend out the sides, vs. piling it up in the center of the sandwich, is up to you.) Top each sandwich with another piece of bread, butter side up. Cook the sandwiches until the bottoms are golden brown and the cheese is starting to melt, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the sandwiches, using a thin spatula to carefully lift any cheese that’s browned on the griddle so it doesn’t detach from the sandwiches. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the other side is golden brown.
- Step 2 Cut each sandwich on the diagonal to serve.
