On a cold day, there’s nothing quite as comforting as a bowl of homemade soup or hearty chowder. With every spoonful, it’s like a big hug in a bowl. The warmth and flavors simply soothe the soul.
In a time crunch, there are some delicious canned soups, but nothing quite takes the place of homemade. As it simmers on the stovetop, it perfumes the whole house and gets everyone hungry for dinner.
A classic combination is tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, and inevitably, I always dunk my sandwich in my soup. To that end, I make a homemade roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons.
It’s buttery and creamy, with only one rule: Never use processed American cheese. Only sharp cheddar will do. For the grilled cheese croutons, simply make a grilled cheese sandwich by buttering both sides of bread, layer with sharp cheddar and saute in a pan until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Slice the sandwich into cubes. To achieve great grill marks, use a grill pan or panini press.
In the soup, the tomatoes caramelize while roasting and get a rich depth of flavor, and the onion and garlic compliment the tomatoes in a marriage meant to be. I finish the soup with a dollop of sour cream, or a splash of heavy cream and fresh basil from my garden.
It really is Some Kinda Good, and is one of my most popular soups to serve to my private chef clients.
Speaking of basil, this Sunday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m., I’ll be doing a live cooking demonstration on fresh herbs, and a book signing, at the 24th Annual Lowcountry Home and Garden Show in Savannah.
The event will take place at the Savannah Convention Center. You can find me on the Eat It and Like It® celebrity chef cooking stage. Admission is free, and I hope to see you there.
Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a private chef, speaker, culinary TV personality, and author. Featured in Forbes, on ABC and Food Network, she is a Georgia Southern University alumna and an honors graduate of the Savannah Culinary Institute. Visit RebekahLingenfelser.com, like Some Kinda Good on Facebook or follow @SKGFoodBlog on Instagram and YouTube.
Homemade tomato soup for two
Ingredients
• pound of Fresh Tomatoes, Cut into Quarters (About 4 medium size)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of fresh garlic, smashed
• Handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Herbes de Provence (You can also use any combination of dried Italian herbs)
• 2 ½ to 3 cups of Chicken Broth
• Splash of Heavy Cream for finishing
• Sour cream, optional
• Fresh basil, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice medium tomatoes into quarters and heirloom tomatoes in half. Spread onto a large baking sheet, along with smashed garlic cloves and onion. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Toss everything together using clean hands. Roast for 30 minutes.
Once vegetables have roasted, transfer them to a blender, and pulse to desired consistency. Transfer the soup back to the stockpot set over medium heat. Add chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.
Turn heat to high, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce liquid until thickens about 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add a splash of heavy cream and stir. Serve soup in a bowl, with a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Garnish with fresh basil and grilled cheese croutons.