Styling and Photography by Sina Mizrahi

Chaya Suri Leitner

During the summer, when tomatoes are at their peak sweetness and flavor, this tomato soup with sourdough grilled cheese recipe is a real treat. It’s the perfect opportunity to take advantage of those beautiful, ripe tomatoes that are in season now. And when it comes to the grilled cheese, adding smoky cheese adds a wonderful depth and richness to each bite.

Sara Gold

I was very excited about this recipe — 
grilled cheese on crispy bread is a favorite in my house, 
and tomato soup just goes well with it. 
I wasn’t sure how my kids would take the soup, but I was willing to try!

SERVES 6

• 3 lbs (1.36 kg) fresh tomatoes, halved
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 2 Tbsp butter

  I used oil to keep it pareve.

• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 8–10 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups vegetable broth or water

  I used water, and I only needed 3 cups to cover the tomatoes.

• 1 tsp sugar

  I used 2 Tbsp.

• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves

  I bought fresh basil and somehow when I got home from the 
  grocery, the basil was nowhere to be found! 
  So I used 1½ Tbsp dried basil instead. 
  Not sure how this affected the taste of the soup.

• ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)

  I used approximately 3 tsp.

• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• ½ cup heavy cream (optional)

  Skipped this.

• good-quality olive oil and fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Grilled Cheese

• 12 slices sourdough bread

  I used ciabatta bread, has a similar crisp.

• 15–18 slices smoked cheese (such as smoked cheddar or gouda)

  I used mozzarella.

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (seeds removed for less heat if desired)
• butter, softened

For the soup: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the halved tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Roast the tomatoes in the preheated oven for about 30–40 minutes, or until they’re soft and slightly charred.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes.

Add the roasted tomatoes (including any juices from the baking sheet) to the pot. Stir in the vegetable broth or water, sugar, fresh basil leaves, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Be careful with the hot liquid and allow the soup to cool slightly before blending if using a regular blender.

Return the pureed soup to the pot and place it over low heat. Stir in the vinegar and heavy cream if using. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to heat through. Garnish each bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh basil leaves, if desired.

For the grilled cheese: Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.

Spread the softened butter evenly on one side of each slice of sourdough bread.

Place the bread, buttered side down, on the preheated skillet or griddle. Layer the smoked cheese slices on each slice of bread, covering the surface evenly. Top the cheese with the thinly sliced red onion and jalapeño slices. Place another slice of bread, buttered side facing up, on top to form the sandwiches.

Cook the sandwiches in batches for about 3–4 minutes on each side, or until the bread turns golden brown and the cheese melts, flipping once halfway through. Remove the sandwiches from the skillet or griddle and allow to cool for a minute or two before slicing them in half.

Serve the sourdough grilled cheese alongside the tomato soup.

Sara Gold

The grilled cheese was crispy and delicious and paired 
really well with the savory tomato soup! Unfortunately, none of my kids 
agreed to taste the soup, since I have yet to convince them to eat 
tomato-based foods, but my husband and I really enjoyed this dinner.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 851)