This Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Toasts recipe is like a hand-me-down, family blanket – old school but the ultimate in comfort. Though I’ve been making tomato soup since I first started cooking, I came across this version — with orange juice! — while filming at Cocoamoda for an episode of my TV show Food Crafters on the Cooking Channel.
I worked on my own version and finally published this tomato soup recipe in my cookbook, Keys To The Kitchen. It’s a total gem but also a bit unexpected, as in, it combines tomatoes, orange juice, and cinnamon for this comforting yet new take on Tomato Soup.
Sure, the cinnamon and orange juice could be optional but it’s one of the most popular recipes from my book for a reason so give it a go at least once. Who knows? It just might become your comfort blanket of soups!
Go stock up on all your cooking essentials then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
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Grilled Cheese And Orange Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For The Orange Tomato Soup:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
For The Grilled Cheesee Toasts:
- 8 (1-inch) thick sliced country bread
- 4 ounces Gruyère, aged Cheddar, or aged Gouda sliced paper thin
Instructions
- Sauté The Onions: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add onion and salt and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Simmer The Soup: Add tomatoes and juices, 1 cup water, and orange juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors are melded and slightly reduced, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Blend The Soup: Process in a food processor in batches until smooth and aerated, about 2 minutes per batch. Return puree to the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Add sherry and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired.
- Make The Cheese Toasts: Meanwhile, set oven to broil and arrange rack in the top. Alternatively, use a toaster oven. Toast one side of the bread for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove from the oven and flip over. Top each bread slice with 2 cheese slices and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 1 minute.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve with 2 cheese toasts for each serving.
