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Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Strips

Source of Recipe

From "Magnolia Table" by Joanna Gaines


Recipe Introduction

"On nights when I just want or need to keep it simple, bowls of rich tomato soup beside some good old-fashioned grilled cheese is a favorite go-to. It's definitely one of the dinners Emmie requests most often. The kids love to have such a delicious 'dip' for their grilled cheese slices. And who am I kidding? Chip and I pretty much feel the same way. I don't think we'll ever outgrow this classic and I'm grateful for that."

List of Ingredients

Tomato Basil Soup:
â—¦ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
â—¦ 3 small cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ Four 14.5-ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
â—¦ 2 to 3 cups store-bought chicken broth or homemade chicken broth, as needed
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 cup heavy cream
â—¦ 6 basil leaves, stems removed, plus sliced basil for serving

Grilled Cheese Strips:
â—¦ â…“ cup mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann's
â—¦ 8 thin slices white bread
â—¦ 4 deli slices Havarti cheese
â—¦ 4 deli slices white Cheddar cheese


Recipe

To make the tomato basil soup:
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and garlic together over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 2 cups chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add the salt and pepper and slowly pour in the cream, stirring constantly. Add more broth if a looser soup is desired. Drop in the basil leaves and stir.

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, let cool slightly and, working in batches as necessary, process in a stand blender until smooth, filling the blender no more than half full and removing the little steam vent in the top of the lid.)

Meanwhile, make the grilled cheese strips:
Thinly spread the mayonnaise on both sides of each slice of bread. On each of four slices of bread, place a slice of Havarti and a slice of Cheddar. Place the remaining bread slices on top to make four sandwiches.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
Toast the sandwiches until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and toast until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Slice each sandwich into four strips.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle some olive oil on top and scatter over some sliced basil. Serve with grilled cheese strips.

Makes 6 servings