QUICK TOMATO SOUP WITH GRILLED CHEESE

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Quick Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese image

When done well, this age-old combination can be exactly what you want. Here, the cooking is as easy as the eating: While you get the soup started in a pot with a can of tomatoes and little more than onion and butter (in the style of Marcella Hazan's famous tomato sauce), you assemble and pan-fry the sandwiches. The particular joy of these lies in their soft, quiet flavors: A thin layer of mayonnaise spread on the inside of the bread heats with the mozzarella, a mild cheese that lets you taste the bread and butter as they are. With a filling this rich and gooey, you want a delicate sweet enriched loaf like brioche or milk bread.

Provided by Eric Kim

Categories     dinner, easy, lunch, quick, sandwiches, soups and stews, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt and black pepper
Mayonnaise
8 slices brioche or milk bread, crusts removed
1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella (4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Steps:

  • Make the soup: Dump the canned tomatoes and their juices into a medium pot and using your hands, tear into coarse chunks. Swish the broth in the empty tomato can and add to the pot.
  • Stir in the onion, butter, oregano and sugar and season generously with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and the tomatoes have broken down, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the sandwiches: Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread and evenly sprinkle the cheese and a little oregano on the mayonnaise side of 4 slices. Top with the cheeseless slices, mayonnaise-side down.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden brown on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan, then flip the sandwiches with a spatula, move them around to coat with the butter and cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat to lowest setting to keep sandwiches warm.
  • Carefully purée the tomato soup using a blender until smooth and creamy, adding more broth if needed to loosen to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the grilled cheeses to a cutting board and cut each in half diagonally. Serve alongside the soup.

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