Email to Cat      

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Source of Recipe

From "Martha's American Food" by Martha Stewart


Recipe Introduction

"My first memories of sandwiches are warm, crisp, buttery triangles of white or whole wheat bread filled with delectable melted yellow cheese. In the Kostyra household, these were served with bowls of steaming tomato soup for lunch, and we all loved that meal. At some point, tomatoes were added to the sandwich filling, and I loved the mixture of sharp cheddar and tart slabs of homegrown Big Boy tomatoes between the unctuous cheese toast. The sandwich had to be cooked in a big iron skillet, and the bread had to be evenly golden brown and the cheese completely melted. Otherwise, it just wasn't quite right."

List of Ingredients

For the soup:
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 onion, finely chopped
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 3 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes (about 10 cups)
â—¦ 5 ¼ cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
â—¦ 3 sprigs oregano, plus more for garnish (optional)
â—¦ ½ cup half-and-half
â—¦ Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the sandwiches:
â—¦ 8 slices (½ inch thick) firm white sandwich bread, such as Pullman or pain de mie
â—¦ ½ pound cheddar, sliced â…“ inch thick
â—¦ Unsalted butter, softened


Recipe

Make the soup:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add tomatoes, stock, and oregano, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove oregano sprigs. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth (or purée in a blender in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway).

Return soup to a simmer over medium-low heat. Gradually add half-and-half, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with more oregano sprigs, if desired. Serve hot.

Make the sandwiches:
Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-low. Cover each of four slices of bread with a layer of cheese; top with remaining bread slices, pressing gently to adhere. Generously butter both sides of each sandwich, spreading butter all the way to the edges.

Cook two sandwiches at a time until golden brown and cheese has melted, 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once. Before removing from griddle, flip sandwiches to reheat first side, about 15 seconds. Cut each sandwich diagonally in half and serve immediately.

Serves 4