Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Serves 2 30 minute prep time By on

This soup can be whipped up (well, blended, technically) in under 15 minutes and you’ll never believe that its creaminess comes from beans! Serve with a simple grilled cheese or take it to the next level by adding homemade pesto and serving an extra-special sandwich.

Ingredients

  • Creamy Tomato Soup:
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed (or one full head of roasted garlic, see notes below)
  • 1 (28oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 (15oz) can white beans (navy, cannellini or butter beans)
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Extra-Special Grilled Cheese Sandwich:
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 slices vegan cheese (I love Chao)
  • 2-3 Tbsp pesto (store bought or see recipe below)
  • 4 slices of your favorite blend (gluten-free, if necessary)
  • 2 Tbsp vegan margarine or coconut oil
  • Optional: Homemade pesto
  • Quick Pesto:
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves (as many as you can jam into one cup measure!)
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup walnuts (pine nuts, hemp hearts or sunflower seeds also work)
  • Juice from half a lemon, 1-2 Tbsp
  • 1 tsp of salt

Preparation

  • Creamy Tomato Soup:

  • In a pot over medium-high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until softened. 5-6 minutes.

  • Add garlic and stir for an additional minute. Add tomatoes, stir to incorporate and turn down heat to medium.

  • Add beans and broth (or water) and let simmer for 5 minutes.

  • Carefully transfer the soup to a blender (do this in batches if you have a small blender, do not fill you blender more than 2/3 full!) and blend until smooth. An immersion blender can also be used.

  • Return the soup to medium-low heat and season with salt and pepper.

  • Extra-Special Grilled Cheese Sandwich:

  • In a pan over medium-high heat, sauté onions in olive until softened. 5-6 minutes.

  • Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and place onions and mushrooms into a bowl.

  • Lay out bread and spread a thin layer of pesto on all four slices. Assemble the 2 sandwiches by placing half of the onion and mushroom mixture to each sandwich and topping with 2 slices of vegan cheese. Top with remaining slice of bread.

  • Spread an even layer of margarine or coconut oil on the top of each sandwich. Heat a pan over medium heat and carefully flip each sandwich into the pan so that the margarine/oil side is down (you may need to cook them one at a time, depending on pan size). Oil the other side of the sandwich once it is in the pan, being careful not to burn yourself!

  • Cook the sandwich until bread is evenly browned, usually around 2 minutes, flip and repeat on other side. Remove from heat, slice in half and serve with a bowl of your creamy tomato soup.

  • Quick Pesto:

  • Add ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Can be made in advance and will keep 3-4 days sealed in the fridge.

  • Roasted Garlic:

  • Slice the top of an entire head of garlic off, so that the top of all the cloves are exposed.

  • Place the head in tin foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and wrap in foil.

  • Place on a baking tray and bake at 400F for 30 to 35 minutes.

  • Let cool and then squeeze the cloves out of the skin. This can be done in advance, and will leave your kitchen smelling incredible!

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