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American

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

A simple tomato soup simmers while cheddar grilled cheese toasts in butter. Both land on the table together, which is the whole point of the meal.

Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Bowl of tomato soup beside a golden grilled cheese sandwich cut in half

Why you’ll love it

  • Canned tomatoes make a real soup without a long simmer.
  • An onion and a little butter keep it from tasting like straight tomato.
  • Grated cheddar melts more evenly than a single thick slice.
  • The sandwich and the soup share one meal without sharing one pot.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Melt 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.

  2. 2

    Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer 15 minutes, uncovered, stirring now and then.

  3. 3

    Stir in the milk and warm the soup just until it is hot. Do not boil it after the milk goes in. Taste and adjust the salt.

  4. 4

    Butter one side of each bread slice. Build 4 sandwiches with the cheddar inside and the buttered sides facing out.

  5. 5

    Toast the sandwiches in a skillet over medium-low heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the bread is deep golden and the cheese is fully melted. Work in batches.

  6. 6

    Cut the sandwiches in half and serve each bowl of soup with a sandwich.

Pro tips

  • Medium-low is the right heat for the sandwich. High heat burns the bread before the cheese melts.
  • A spoon of sugar balances canned tomatoes. You can skip it if your tomatoes are already sweet.
  • Keep the soup at a bare simmer after adding milk so it does not curdle.

Easy substitutions

Cheddar
A mix of cheddar and mozzarella.
Milk
A splash of cream, or leave the soup dairy-free and skip the milk.
Vegetable broth
Chicken broth.

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate the soup for up to 4 days. Eat the sandwiches the day they are made.

Reheating

Warm the soup in a saucepan over medium-low until hot. Make a fresh grilled cheese rather than reheating a limp one.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
446
Protein
18 g
Carbs
44 g
Fat
22 g
Fiber
4 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients