Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes (with their juice) and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender directly in the pot) and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pot if using a standard blender.
- Stir in the heavy cream, chopped fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Heat gently for 5 minutes, but do not boil.
- While the soup is simmering, prepare the grilled cheese sandwiches. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Place two slices of bread, butter-side down, in a skillet or on a griddle over medium heat. Top each with slices of cheddar and provolone cheese. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top, butter-side up.
- Grill for 3-5 minutes per side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted and gooey.
- Cut the grilled cheese sandwiches in half. Serve the creamy tomato basil soup hot with the grilled cheese sandwiches.
Nutrition
Notes
For a richer soup, you can use half-and-half instead of heavy cream. You can also add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Experiment with different cheeses for your grilled cheese, such as Gruyere or Monterey Jack.