Creamy Tomato Soup Grilled Cheese Dippers (Printable)
Rich tomato soup with golden grilled cheese strips for dipping—comfort food ready in 45 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ For the 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
→ For the Grilled Cheese Dippers
14 - 8 slices sandwich bread (white or whole wheat)
15 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
16 - 8 slices cheddar cheese
# How-To:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened.
02 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, vegetable broth, sugar, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
04 - Remove soup from heat. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches to purée until smooth.
05 - Stir in heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Keep warm over low heat.
06 - Butter one side of each bread slice.
07 - Place 4 bread slices, buttered side down, on a cutting board. Top each with 2 slices of cheese. Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
08 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook sandwiches 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
09 - Remove from skillet, let cool slightly, and cut each sandwich into strips.
10 - Serve creamy tomato soup hot with grilled cheese dippers on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The soup achieves restaurant quality velvetiness without any fancy techniques or hours of stirring
- Dipping warm cheese crusted bread into hot tomato soup transforms a humble meal into an interactive experience
02 -
- Hot soup can splatter violently when blending, so either use an immersion blender directly in the pot or vent your regular blender between batches
- Letting the soup rest off the heat for 5 minutes after blending allows the flavors to settle and the texture to thicken naturally
03 -
- Low and slow heat prevents the cream from separating when you add it
- Buttering the bread all the way to the edges ensures every bite is perfectly golden