Creamy Tomato Soup Grilled Cheese Dippers (Printable)
Rich tomato soup with crispy golden grilled cheese strips for dipping
# What You'll Need:
→ Creamy Tomato Soup
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 carrot, peeled and diced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
06 - 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
07 - 2 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1 teaspoon sugar
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
12 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
→ Grilled Cheese Dippers
14 - 8 slices sandwich bread, white or whole wheat
15 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
16 - 8 slices cheddar cheese or preferred melting cheese
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened and translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
03 - Pour in diced tomatoes with juices, vegetable broth, sugar, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to develop flavors.
04 - Remove pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to purée until completely smooth, or transfer to a countertop blender in batches, blending until velvety.
05 - Stir heavy cream into the puréed soup. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Keep warm over low heat while preparing dippers.
06 - Butter one side of each bread slice evenly. Place 4 bread slices butter-side down on a cutting board. Top each with 2 cheese slices. Cover with remaining bread slices, butter-side up.
07 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook sandwiches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is fully melted.
08 - Remove sandwiches from skillet and let cool briefly. Cut each sandwich into 4 strips. Serve hot soup alongside grilled cheese dippers for dipping.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The soup comes together in under an hour but tastes like it simmered all day
- Cutting grilled cheese into dippers makes every bite perfectly dunkable and fun
- Leftovers actually taste better the next day, if you have any
02 -
- Hot soup + hot blender = explosion, so let it cool slightly if using a countertop blender and never fill it more than halfway
- Buttering the bread to the very edges prevents those disappointing unbitten corners
- Low and slow heat on the grilled cheese gives you melty cheese without burning the bread
03 -
- Use a box grater to shred your own cheese instead of buying pre shredded, it melts so much better
- Mayo instead of butter on the bread creates an even crispier exterior and does not burn as easily