Classic Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Skip the dipping and add your grilled cheese croutons right into the most perfect and Classic Tomato Soup. This is an easy, one-pot soup perfect perfect for when that tomato soup and grilled cheese craving hits!
There is no more perfect combo than the nostalgic tomato soup and grilled cheese and this recipe is the absolute best. A velvety smooth, simple and flavorful tomato soup with fresh basil always hits the spot on cold nights.
This easy and delicious soup recipe is made in one pot in just about 45 minutes!
Table of Contents
Classic Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Day 4 of So Much Food Soup Week brings us to one of my favorite combos: the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese! There is literally nothing more comforting and it’s the first soup I crave when the weather is finally cool enough to enjoy any soups.
This is truly a no-frills but still completely delicious classic tomato soup recipe. It comes together with mostly pantry staples in no time at all!
I’ve got several tomato soup recipes like my Bacon Tomato Bisque, my Roasted Tomato Soup, and my Tomato Tortellini Soup, but this may just be my new favorite!
It’s everything that is nostalgic about your favorite store-bought tomato soup, but fresher and packed with flavor. This will forever be my new go-to classic tomato soup recipe!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Truly comforting and nostalgic – This is just the most perfect and quintessential tomato soup recipe! It reminds me of the Campbell’s tomato soup I used to love, but so much more flavorful while still being very simple.
One pot recipe – We love a one-pot soup recipe for dinner! It makes life so much easier and cleanup that much quicker.
Quick and easy – The whole recipe comes together in just about 45 minutes making it perfect for those busy weeknights.
Made with pantry staples – Other than a couple of fresh ingredients, this recipe for classic tomato soup comes together with pantry staples that you probably already have on hand!
How to Make Classic Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
As with all my soup recipes, I highly recommend investing in a 4 qt dutch oven! This piece of cookware does all of the heavy lifting in my kitchen and I love it so much. I’ve linked my favorite dutch oven below.
Tools Needed
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter. Butter rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes. You could use olive oil, but the butter flavor is so much better.
- Onion. Yellow onion is best here for a bit of sweetness, but you really can use any onion including red, white, and shallots.
- Garlic. A bit of minced garlic is a must for making this tomato soup extra flavorful.
- Red pepper flakes. A bit of spice makes this classic tomato soup extra warming.
- Tomato paste. The tomato paste adds that deep, rich tomato flavor.
- Canned whole peeled tomatoes. You could use crushed tomatoes here, but the texture of whole tomatoes is so good.
- Broth. You can use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian, but I always use homemade chicken stock for soups.
- Heavy cream. This is an optional ingredient, but I love the richness it adds.
- Fresh basil. There is no better flavor than fresh basil in tomato soup!
- Sourdough bread. Any bread works, but sliced sourdough is my favorite.
- Sharp cheddar. A nice melty and flavorful cheddar cheese is the move here.
The Process
- Saute the onions and garlic. Melt the butter in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the diced onion and garlic and stir well. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more.
- Cook the tomato paste. Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir really well until the tomato paste is incorporated into the onions. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until the tomato paste has darkened in color slightly.
- Add the tomatoes and broth. Add the canned tomatoes and juices to the pot and stir well. Break the tomatoes up slightly, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the broth. Add the torn fresh basil leaves. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender or traditional blender and blend the soup until smooth. Transfer back to the soup pot and add the cream and any additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Make the croutons. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spread softened butter on one side of the bread slices. Place two slices of bread in the skillet, top with the shredded cheese, and the other slice of bread with the buttered side up. Cook until golden brown, then flip, and cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into small squares.
- Serve the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the grilled cheese croutons and a bit more fresh basil, if desired.
What to Serve with Classic Tomato Soup
While this recipe for classic tomato soup and grilled cheese croutons is a meal in itself, I find myself being a real soup and salad girl! I love the combination of something fresh and crunchy with a hearty and comforting counterpart.
Some of my favorite salads to serve alongside this classic tomato soup are: Loaded Wedge Salad, Crunchy Italian Chopped Salad, Greek Chicken Salad, or my beloved Kale Caesar Salad. All of these combos are winners!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
This classic tomato soup recipe freezes beautifully! It’s a great soup to have on hand in the freezer to simply warm up when the soup craving hits.
To store: Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove.
For best results, always reheat soup on the stove over using the microwave.
Is there anything more classic than tomato soup and grilled cheese? No way! This is the ultimate classic tomato soup recipe and the grilled cheese bites really take it over the top. If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Soup Recipes to Try
Lasagna Soup
Quick Chicken Pho
Chicken Wonton Soup
Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
Epic French Onion Soup
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Classic Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Ingredients
Classic Tomato Soup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes*
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 28 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, optional
- handful of torn fresh basil leaves
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Grilled Cheese Croutons
- softened butter
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Saute the onions and garlic. Melt the butter in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the diced onion and garlic and stir well. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more.
- Cook the tomato paste. Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir really well until the tomato paste is incorporated into the onions. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until the tomato paste has darkened in color slightly.
- Add the tomatoes and broth. Add the canned tomatoes and juices to the pot and stir well. Break the tomatoes up slightly, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the broth. Add the torn fresh basil leaves. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender or traditional blender and blend the soup until smooth. Transfer back to the soup pot and add the cream and any additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Make the croutons. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spread softened butter on one side of the bread slices. Place two slices of bread in the skillet, top with the shredded cheese, and the other slice of bread with the buttered side up. Cook until golden brown, then flip, and cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into small squares.
- Serve the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the grilled cheese croutons and a bit more fresh basil, if desired.
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