An American Staple

An American Staple

Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of tomato soup with a crusty, gooey grilled cheese to dunk in it? Get outta town! I mean really, something simple like grilled cheese and tomato soup is wonderful because they are both so easy to customize to your tastes. Like your food on the spicy side? Add some hot sauce! Like a little extra crunch? Add croutons to your soup! The possibilities are endless for this American combo and a wonderful starting point if you are looking to expand your basic culinary skills. This Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup recipe, slightly modified from Food 52, has the taste of something fancy without a laundry list of ingredients. For example, for a little extra heat I added a pinch of red pepper flakes, but feel free to customize to your heart’s content!

Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

·         8 medium beefsteak tomatoes, cored and quartered (I used a variety of tomatoes. Whatever you have on hand as long as the total volume is about the same)

·         4 cloves garlic (leave the skins on!)

·         1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the tomatoes

·         Salt

·         1 sprig rosemary

·         3 sprigs thyme

·         A pinch of red pepper flakes

·         6 tablespoons heavy cream

·         Sugar, if needed

·         Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the tomatoes cut-side down. Add the garlic cloves (with skins on). Sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast until the tomatoes are soft and caramelized, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.
   
   
   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
   
2. In a small saucepan, combine the ¼ cup olive oil with the rosemary and thyme and place over low heat. Let warm until you begin to smell the herbs, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Peel the tomatoes and add the pulp and juices to a soup pot  Squeeze the garlic from its skin and add it to the pan along with the red pepper flakes. Place the pan over medium heat, and begin mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher until it’s pulpy, but not chunky (if you prefer to use a food processor, go ahead – just make sure you leave it pulpy). When the mixture is hot but not boiling, stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar, if needed.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Top with croutons, cheese crumbles, or goldfish and serve with your favorite grilled cheese.

*Pie Drunk Kitchen Notes: After added the cream and seasoning with salt and pepper, I opted not to add any sugar upon tasting.

Lazy Lady’s Grilled Cheese

Our grilled cheese was prepared on a seeded baguette with aged white cheddar, so nothing too fancy. In fact, we were so unfancy that we just toasted the bread in the toaster and placed very thinly sliced cheese between the pieces of toast. Voila! Lazy!