Go Back
Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese recipe

Print Recipe
A warm bowl of tomato soup with a buttery grilled cheese on the side - Simple, nostalgic, and seriously comforting. Perfect for any cozy day.
Course comfort food, Main Course
Cuisine American, classic
Keyword comfort food, cozy meal, easy soup recipe, grilled cheese, quick lunch, tomato soup, tomato soup with grilled cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 480

Equipment

  • Large pot or pan
  • Immersion blender or regular blender
  • Skillet or frying pan
  • Wooden spoon
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

For Tomato Soup:

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 800 ml canned tomatoes
  • 500 ml vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 100-150 ml heavy cream
  • 1 tsp dried basil or Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh basil optional
  • ½ tsp red chilli flakes optional

For Grilled Cheese:

  • 2 slices bread
  • 2-3 slices good cheese cheddar, gruyere, or mix
  • 2 tbsp butter for bread
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

Tomato Soup:

  • Melt butter in pot over medium heat
  • Add chopped onion, cook 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent
  • Add minced garlic, cook 1 more minute
  • Pour in canned tomatoes and crush them with spoon
  • Add broth, sugar, salt, pepper, and dried basil
  • Stir well and bring to gentle simmer
  • Simmer for 15-20 minutes
  • Blend soup until smooth using immersion or regular blender
  • Stir in heavy cream and bring back to gentle simmer for 1 minute
  • Add fresh basil if you have it
  • Taste and adjust seasoning as needed

Grilled Cheese:

  • Heat skillet over medium heat
  • Butter both slices of bread generously on one side each
  • Place one slice butter-side down in hot pan
  • Add cheese on top (2-3 slices)
  • Top with second slice, butter-side up
  • Cook 2-3 minutes until bottom is golden and crispy
  • Flip carefully
  • Cook another 2-3 minutes until other side is golden and cheese is melted
  • Remove from pan, let cool 10 seconds before eating

Serving:

  • Pour hot soup in bowl
  • Place grilled cheese on side
  • Dip sandwich in soup and bite alternately
  • Garnish soup with fresh basil, black pepper, salt
  • Serve immediately

Storage & Freezing:

  • Soup: Fridge 3-4 days in airtight container. Reheat on stove gently.
  • Soup: Freezer up to 1 month. Thaw overnight before reheating.
  • Grilled Cheese: Always make fresh. Don't freeze or store.
  • Best Practice: Make soup ahead and freeze. Make grilled cheese fresh.

Pro Tips:

  • Use medium heat for grilled cheese - crucial for crispy outside and melted inside
  • Don't skip blending the soup - makes huge texture difference
  • Real cheese melts better than pre-sliced plastic cheese
  • Let grilled cheese cool 10 seconds - cheese is extremely hot inside
  • Room temperature butter spreads easier than cold butter
  • Serve both hot for best contrast and flavor