Tomato Soup – The Best Classic Creamy Recipe

Seasonal fresh tomatoes and carrots are gracing all our farmer’s markets.

Bright light to announce that spring is almost here. At least on my side of the country. The tomatoes and carrots give this soup such a beautiful color. You will love this classic tomato soup recipe—creamy tomato soup yet very light.

In this Article

Origins of tomato soup.

It originated in the Andalucia region of southern Spain. Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish cuisine as well as in Portugal.

in 1897, Joseph Campbell came out with condensed tomato soup by reducing water in the tin, making it easy and lowering storage and shipping costs.

Where did grilled cheese and tomato soup originate?

The combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese has been around since WWII when feeding hungry seamen.

School lunch programs, after WWII, were added to the menu because of the added vitamin C that it provides.

They are full of flavor and a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, vitamin K, fiber, beta-carotene, and antioxidants. In a nutshell:  a very healthy recipe for all of us.

Grilled cheeses are very personal.

Here I have prepared the authentic way with cheddar cheese. We also had it by substituting the cheddar with Swiss and Havarti.

Super delicious and my favorite way to enjoy it. Have fun with the grilled cheese, and use what you have at home.

A quick note:  grilled cheese was first introduced in the early 1900s.

I use fresh white bread. Spread butter on both sides of the bread. I am very generous with the cheese. After all, you want a stringy, gooey melted cheese that tastes heavenly once you bite into.

Cooking tips and step by step to make this wonderful Tomato Soup

I used my food processor to help me keep the prep work short. We all should have a small one for that kind of work; my favorite cannot live without it here.

After a couple of seconds of chopping, the onions and carrots are all the perfect size. Time-saving on a busy night.

• Remove all the seedlings from the tomatoes and peel them. I own this fantastic tomato peeler I resisted buying for years, and once in my hands, I wonder why I waited so long to get it.
• Use a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven pan and saute the carrots and onions. Stir so they will not burn.
• Add water to the carrot-onion mixture and simmer to soften the carrots.
• Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, saffron strands, salt and pepper, and chicken stock to the carrots and onion mixture and cook covered. All the ingredients will marry well.
• Have your blender handy to use as soon as your tomatoes are cooked.
• Puree all the tomato content. You may have to do it in batches.
• The cream and egg can be omitted if you want a lighter soup. However, add some stock or water to thin out the soup.
• Always temper your egg mixture with some hot soup separately before adding it to the saucepan. This will prevent separation.

Tips for a Great Grilled Cheese

As French, butter is our middle name; therefore, we use it in and with any food.

I butter both sides of the bread. Of course, you can omit the side where you will place your cheese. But do try it my way. You will love the gooey ooey of the cheese.

I always start with high heat to get the bread with a nice crust.

I lower the heat as soon as I add the cheese to my bread.

This will allow the cheese to melt beautifully and the bread not to burn.

Suggestions and substitutions

You can enjoy this excellent soup with some croutons or go the extra mile and prepare a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich that you can dip into or, better yet, cut into small cubes and enjoy alongside.

The soup is equally good without the egg yolks and cream if you want to be on the lighter side, thin the soup with more chicken stock or water.

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Originally published on April 1, 2021.