Cast Iron

Grilled Cheese and Fresh Tomato Soup

August  7, 2014
5
1 Ratings
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This recipe is my attempt to capture the tomato soup I remember from childhood in a way that reflects my adult palette. —Caroline Wright

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 6 tablespoons softened butter, divided
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 8 plum tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), quartered
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 medium garlic clove, halved
  • 2 pinches Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 splash White wine vinegar to taste
  • 5 1 inch-thick slices white sandwich bread (2 ounces each)
  • 4 ounces Raclette cheese, sliced
Directions
  1. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the tomato paste over medium heat. Cook, stirring until the butter is foamy and the tomato paste begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, sugar, half a garlic clove, and 4 cups water. Season generously with salt and pepper. Crumble 1 bread slice into pan, stirring to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and rapidly simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have broken apart.
  2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. While the soup simmers, make the sandwiches: Rub the inside of the bread slices with the cut side of the remaining garlic clove. Stack the cheese on top of two of the pieces of bread and sandwich it with the remaining bread slices (garlic-rubbed sides of all bread slices should be facing the cheese). Spread the exposed side of the bread slices with the remaining butter. Add the sandwiches to the hot pan and place a second, heavy skillet over the top. Fry the sandwiches, turning once, until the cheese is melted and the outside of the sandwiches are crispy, about 8 minutes.
  3. Remove the thyme stems from the cooked tomato soup. Working in two batches, transfer the tomato soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Season the soup with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Serve the soup in bowls, each accompanied with half of a sandwich.

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Before her diagnosis, Caroline wrote a book on cakes called Cake Magic!. She started developing a birthday cake using her gluten-free mix found in that book. Check out other recipes she’s developing for her new life—and the stories behind them—on her blog, The Wright Recipes. Her next book, Soup Club, is a collection of recipes she made for her underground soup club of vegan and grain-free soups she delivers every week to friends throughout Seattle's rainy winter.

2 Reviews

judy December 6, 2018
I love tomato soup with grilled cheese. I have not made fresh tomato soup. I like to use a can of stewed tomatoes that I blend up with a stick blender until almost smooth. I make a light roux then add the blended tomatoes. Heat through. Delicious soup easy.
 
Horto September 17, 2014
im gonna make this but remove tomato peel, hate those nasty bits of peel, seems like a lotta water, though, has anyone made this? dealing with tomato surplus.