Creamy Tomato Basil Soup and Bacon Sourdough Grilled Cheese

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

Cut the sourdough loaf into slices for croutons.

Drizzle olive oil over the bread slices and sprinkle with black pepper and kosher salt; mix to coat.

Place the bread in the oven at 350°F for 10-12 minutes to make croutons.

Dice one whole onion into small pieces using a serrated bread knife and a Chinese style cleaver.

Press and dice 6-8 garlic cloves, depending on their size, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in an enamel cast iron dutch oven until warm.

Add diced onions to the pot and sweat them down until translucent, stirring to coat with oil.

Add the minced garlic to the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add a 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes to the pot and break them up slightly with a spoon.

Fill one of the empty tomato cans halfway with water and pour it into the pot.

Add 1 teaspoon of better than bouillon to the pot; if unavailable, substitute with chicken stock.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and mix well.

Simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes to allow the tomatoes to break down.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth, or leave it chunky if preferred.

Add 8-10 basil leaves to the soup and pulse again with the immersion blender.

In the same pot, add 1/2 stick of butter and 1 cup of heavy cream to the soup; mix well.

Season the soup with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasonings, and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes; adjust to taste.

Prepare grilled cheese sandwiches using sourdough bread, cheddar cheese, and gouda cheese, buttering both sides of the bread.

Toast the grilled cheese sandwiches on a heated griddle until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens