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!
Servings: 6 servings
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 9x13 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 9x13" 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.
