Tomato soup and grilled cheese is a classic; it’s one of those dishes you remember from childhood and still tastes just as good as an adult. In this version, recipe developer and creator Kristen Faith (find her on TikTok and Instagram) shares her twist: she always adds fresh jalapeños and bacon to her grilled cheese!
Hot tip: For the creamy garlic and tomato soup, Faith suggests roasting your tomatoes, onion, and garlic in the oven before blending and cooking them on the stove. This helps pull out the caramelized flavors that take a tomato soup to the next level.
Makes: 6 soup servings, 1 grilled cheese
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup
2 heirloom tomatoes, diced (~2 cups)
3 Roma tomatoes, diced (~1½ cups)
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 shallot, diced (~¼ cup)
1 garlic bulb, sliced in half
4 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp butter
3 small carrots, chopped (~1 cup)
1 onion, diced (~1 cup)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
8-10 basil leaves, torn in half
2 rosemary sprigs
4-6 thyme sprigs
⅔ cup vegetable broth, plus more as needed
½ cup heavy cream
Bacon Jalapeño Grilled Cheese
Hickory smoked bacon
Mayonnaise
2 slices sourdough bread
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Shredded havarti cheese
Jalapeños, thinly sliced
Preparation
Soup
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spread tomatoes in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Add shallots and the split head of garlic onto the tray. Add 2 tbsp olive oil (or more) and season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and paprika. Place sheet tray into oven and roast for 30-40 minutes until tomatoes appear wrinkled and broken down.
Using a dutch oven or stock pot on medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and butter. Add carrots and onion. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5-7 minutes until carrots and onion are softened. Add torn basil, rosemary, and thyme. Squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves, then add roasted tomatoes and shallots. Pour in vegetable broth. Partially cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover. Remove and discard rosemary and thyme. Blend the soup with immersion blender or blender (do in stages if it can’t all fit). Once blended to your desired consistency, add in heavy cream. Season to taste. If the soup is too thick, add additional vegetable broth a little at a time.
Garnish soup with a drizzle of olive oil or cream and a basil sprig.
Grilled Cheese
Cook 2 slices of bacon in a cast iron pan at medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon and leave a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Spread a thin layer of mayo on one side of each bread slice. On medium low heat, place one slice of bread mayo-side down. Add cheese, 4 slices of jalapeños, and bacon on top of slice. Place other slice of bread on top with the mayo side facing up. Cook for about 3 minutes until the bottom slice is golden brown, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes or until the other side is golden brown.
