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Of all the cozy foods to eat in the cold winter months, this one is an absolute classic. My kids get so excited as soon as they hear me say “Tomato Soup”, they know grilled cheese sandwiches are a guaranteed accompaniment!

I’ve tweaked this classic comfort food over the years to make it something we adults enjoy as much as the children. Roasting the tomatoes gives them such a rich depth of flavour, plain old canned tomatoes cannot compete. Even in the dead of winter when flavourful tomatoes are hard to come by, be assured that roasting pretty much ANY variety of tomatoes is going to produce a rich, deep, tomato-ey flavour. You’ll swear you used fresh garden tomatoes in the peak of summer! This time I used a few vine ripened tomatoes I had plus a bag of cherry tomatoes I had previously frozen to save them from spoiling – they go straight in the pan frozen, no problem! You can even use canned whole or crushed tomatoes, they will also benefit greatly in flavour from roasting! We get plenty of extra flavour from balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, roasted garlic and onions, homemade bone broth… you can tell already it’s going to be a winner, right?!

If all of this is sounding like a lot of work, have no fear – we basically put all of the ingredients (save the liquids) in one pan to roast in the oven. While it’s roasting you have plenty of time to ready the grilled cheese. Once the tomatoes, onions, and garlic have become delightfully bubbly and caramelized, we puree them with our homemade broth and some full fat coconut milk for rich creaminess (don’t worry, it won’t taste like coconut, I promise!). You could also substitute cashew cream, or just use heavy cream if you don’t require dairy free. Season to taste and you’re done. See? Piece of cake!

While my kids prefer a classic grilled cheese – just bread, butter, and cheese, we adults tend to prefer a bit more flavour. This time I spread some of my roasted garlic aioli inside our sandwiches and it was the perfect boost of flavour. Other times I like to add salty prosciutto and a spread of punchy dijon mustard to round out our grilled cheese. There are literally endless varieties of grilled cheese, so feel free to play around with it and use whatever flavours you like best! Or keep it classic with the kiddos 🙂

I imagine a lot of you have some time off coming up over this Christmas break to spend with your loved ones. I think this would make the perfect lunch for a cozy winter day with your family over the holidays! I hope you all enjoy a restful and joyous Christmas season and wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

One of my favourite cozy comfort food meals on a chilly day. Roasting tomatoes gives them such a depth of flavour, you'll swear you've scored some garden fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter! The soup is gluten and dairy free with options to make the sandiwiches gluten and/or dairy free if desired!

Course lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword comfort food, Dairy free, gluten free, grilled cheese, potato leek soup, tomato soup

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Garnish at Home, adapted from Simply Delicious

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs tomatoes, roughly chopped (any ripe tomatoes will work, leave cherry tomatoes whole); you can also substitute whole or diced canned tomatoes, use the juices and all enough to make a single layer in a 9×13 pan
• 1 onion, small diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 156ml can of tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken broth beef or vegetable broth will also work
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp coconut aminos, to taste or soy sauce
• 1 can full fat coconut cream can use 1 cup heavy cream if not dairy free
• 1 handful fresh chopped basil, parsley, or chives optional garnish

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

• 2 slices bread, per person use gluten free bread if necessary
• butter use vegan butter or ghee for dairy free
• cheese – aged cheddar, mozzerella, or whatever kind you prefer use goat cheese or vegan cheese for dairy free
• dijon mustard or roasted garlic aioli optional condiments
• prosciutto or other cured meats optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 9×13" pan or line with parchment paper.
• Add the chopped tomates, onions, and garlic to the pan. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
  
• Roast for 30 minutes, until tomatos begin to break down and caramalize.
  
• Transfer tomato mixture to a medium pot. Add the tomato paste and chicken broth and blend with an immersion belnder until smooth. You can do this in a blender or food processor as well.
  
• Gently bring the soup to a boil, lower heat and add the dried basil, coconut aminos, a good seasoning of salt and pepper, and the coconut milk. Start by adding just the thickest cream in the can. Once warmed through, taste the soup and add more of the liquid milk in the can as desired. Any leftover coconut milk can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge to be used within a week. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  
• Serve hot with grilled cheese sandwiches. Garnish with fresh basil, parsley, or chives if desired.
  

Grilled Cheese:

• Meanwhile, prepare the grilled cheese sandwiches. Butter one side of all of the bread slices. Fill sandwiches, unbuttered sides facing in, with your cheese of choice – enough to make a single layer acrross the bread (you can also use grated cheese, about 1/2 cup cheese per sandwhich). If you prefer a bit more flavour in your sandwiches, you can spread some dijon mustard or roasted garlic aioli on one side of the inside of your sandwich. Prosciutto or other cured meats are also a nice addition if you're looking to add more protein to the meal.
  
• Grill the sandiwches in a large skillet, preheated over medium low heat until the cheese is melted and both sides are golden brown. You can also use a panini press/George Foreman Grill to cook the sandwiches instead, if desired.
  

Featured in This Post:

This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!

Immersion Blender – I can’t imagine going through the hassle of transporting hot chunky soup in small batches to a blender to puree – what a hassle! I absolutely adore my immersion blender when it comes to blending soups. It could not be easier, you just stick it in the soup and whiz away. Just make sure the blade is fully immersed before blending and while blending or you’ll have a hot mess, quite literally… everywhere! 😉

Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk– This is my go to brand for making whipped coconut cream. The other brands just don’t seem to be as creamy or solidify when refrigerated – such a disappointment when you open the can in the morning ready to whip up some cream. This brand has never failed me! 

Coconut Aminos – This is an excellent healthy substitute for soy sauce. It is gluten free, soy free, much lower in sodium than soy sauce, and packed with amino acids and active enzymes. And it tastes delicious, very similar to soy sauce. This is one of my secret weapons for boosting flavour in the soups, sauces, etc.

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