5 stars (14 ratings)
50 Comments »
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Everyone’s favorite tomato soup with the most perfect mini grilled cheese bites! So comforting, so cozy.
I hope you all are recovering from Thanksgiving. I obviously ate way too much than I could actually handle and then had a second round of Thanksgiving leftovers on Friday where we had the most amazing turkey ham sandwiches with cranberry sauce and gravy-drenched boxed stuffing. Yeah, you heard right, boxed stuffing. We all devoured the chestnut-pancetta stuffing that was made for Thursday so we had to resort to Mrs. Cubbison’s classic dressing. And surprisingly enough, the boxed ones are actually pretty good!
I am so grateful to be spending Thanksgiving withsuch an amazing family and to be surrounded by such awesome food. Although it saddens me that there are still many Hurricane Sandy victims left homeless on this holiday. With $50 billion indamages,the deaths of over a 100 people and thousands left homeless or without power, today’s #SundaySupper is to lend a helping hand to those affected in the Northeast.
We were told to cook from our hearts and with that in mind, I couldn’t help but make a huge batch of creamy tomato soup. Tomato soup brings such comfort, especially when some grilled cheese “croutons” are thrown in there. It has that soothing effect and definitely serves as the ultimate feel-good meal!
Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese "Croutons"
Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes minutes
Cook: 25 minutes minutes
Total: 35 minutes minutes
Everyone's favorite tomato soup with the most perfect mini grilled cheese bites! So comforting, so cozy.
5 stars (14 ratings)
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¾ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
For the grilled cheese croutons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 slices white or wheat bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Spread 1/2 tablespoon butter over 1 side of each bread slice. Turn the slices over and top 2 slices with cheddar and pleace remaining 2 slices of bread on top, buttered sides up. Add sandwich to pan and grill until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, about 2-3 minutes per side. Let cool for 1 minute and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and bay leaf and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and mash, using a potato masher, until broken down into smaller pieces. Stir in heavy cream and brown sugar.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
Puree with an immersion blender. Stir in vegetable broth until heated through, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately with “croutons”, garnished with parsley.
Notes
Adapted fromTracey’s Culinary AdventuresandIna Garten
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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posted on November 25, 2012under soup
50 CommentsLeave a Comment »
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50 comments -
Catie — February 4, 2024 @ 4:45 PM Reply
Excellent and loved by all. I simmered longer to help flavors develop because I had the time. It was perfect for a cold February evening
-
Robin — October 12, 2023 @ 6:11 AM Reply
I’ve made this multiple times and me and my family LOVE it. Thanks Chungah for SO many great recipes. Your site is my default for dinner recipes because they have always been delicious!
-
John — April 9, 2022 @ 4:13 PM Reply
Delicious and easy to make. A real winner!
-
Allison Morales — April 8, 2022 @ 7:16 PM Reply
I would totallyyyyy! make it again!
-
Emily — April 5, 2021 @ 5:24 PM Reply
This is one of my favourite recipes! I make it with my brother every time I come home! We have been using it for years. One time I thought I could do it without the recipe and accidentally put 1/4 CUP red pepper flakes instead of 1/4 teaspoon. Needless to say it was SO spicy, but still amazingly fantastic. Highly highly recommend this to all my tomato soup lovers.
-
Sabena — November 26, 2020 @ 2:55 AM Reply
My son tried tomato soup for the 1st time in his life and went MMMMMMM!!!! So GOOD!! Enough said, so thank you for a wonderful, simple recipe that taste anything but simple. Followed the recipe to the best of my ability and changed nothing.
-
AMF — October 14, 2020 @ 5:57 PM Reply
This was delicious. Its also quick and easy! I did not have canned whole tomatoes, so I used canned crushed tomatoes. I also used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. It was awesome this way. I loved the “croutons.” Don’t skip them or substitute other croutons…they were so good!
-
Mig — May 19, 2020 @ 11:31 AM Reply
I made this yesterday and we are adding this to our favourites. Added a touch of paprika but even without, the soup was smooth, flavourful and moreish! Thank you so much.
-
Whitney — January 2, 2020 @ 10:21 AM Reply
Love this recipe! Whenever I get a hankerin’ for tomato soup, this is my go-to. Thanks, Chungah, for sharing your creativity in the kitchen. 🙂
-
Alice Su — February 21, 2019 @ 12:57 PM Reply
My family loved this!
I made it for lunch– it took no time. My husband is still shocked I made it.
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — February 22, 2019 @ 10:17 PM Reply
Amazing!
-
Mimi — January 21, 2019 @ 7:45 PM Reply
Tomato soup has been my favorite since I was a child (I’m 63), but not my husband’s. I made this today and my husband went back for seconds! This is so creamy and good, and easy to make. We will never eat canned tomato soup again. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — January 22, 2019 @ 11:26 AM Reply
Oh wow, that’s great!
-
Sydney — January 8, 2019 @ 3:49 PM Reply
I LOVE LOVE this recipe! It is absolutely incredible! Thank you for sharing it with the world! I love cooking this, it’s quick and easy! My family loves this soup!
-
Anne Martin — December 16, 2018 @ 3:36 AM Reply
I added cream of mushroom soup instead of the cream and it was perfect. I added it early not at the end. Healthy and delicious! I was out of tomato paste but it went fine with whatever tomato’s I had in the house plus I threw in some sun dried ones from the garden this summer (or use canned?). Loved it in San Francisco on a rainy day
-
Jen — December 3, 2018 @ 8:39 PM Reply
See AlsoMaple Dijon Roasted Carrots Thoughts on using fresh cherry tomatoes instead of canned whole? I have a ton of ch. tom. I need to use before they go bad.
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — December 4, 2018 @ 10:02 AM Reply
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
-
Sandy evans — December 3, 2018 @ 3:11 PM Reply
So easy to prepare this tomato soup and it is very delicious. No need to buy the can soup as this far surpasses it in flavor!
-
Tracy — December 3, 2018 @ 11:24 AM Reply
This looks wonderful, I’ll make this soon, but I’d like to know why whole tomatoes and not diced? Every recipe I’ve made so far of yours has been awesome. Thank you!
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — December 3, 2018 @ 4:55 PM Reply
I prefer whole tomatoes in this recipe but you can substitute diced to suit your needs. 🙂
-
Louise — November 11, 2018 @ 3:25 PM Reply
This was delicious!
-
Kari — December 11, 2016 @ 5:15 AM Reply
Can I fix this ahead and put in crockpot to keep warm?
-
Chungah — December 11, 2016 @ 7:49 AM Reply
Yes!
-
Lauren — August 11, 2016 @ 12:07 PM Reply
Is it OK to use whole milk instead of heavy cream? And I don’t have an immersion blender, is it fine to skip that step?
-
Chungah — August 15, 2016 @ 11:40 AM Reply
Yes, it is okay to substitute whole milk.
Do you have access to a blender? I do not recommend skipping this step.
-
Shelly Kramer — March 3, 2016 @ 4:08 PM Reply
So delicious!!!! For those looking for a substitute for heavy cream, I used coconut cream I had as a can in the fridge! Turned out awesome. I also didn’t have cans of tomatoes, so I used two cans of tomato sauce and threw in 6 large ripe tomatoes!
-
Pam Dohm — January 13, 2016 @ 10:01 AM Reply
I have pinned several of your recipes!!! We have loved them all!!! This one was made on the spur of the moment–6 people arrived! And hungry!!! Raves from all. Easy to make, fun and superb!! Please keep your recipes coming and Thank you!!!
-
Kristie — October 15, 2015 @ 5:03 PM Reply
I made this soup tonight. We topped our with garlic pepper and fresh Parmesan cheese. I may never make canned tomato soup again. Thanks for sharing.
-
Raquel — October 7, 2015 @ 8:59 PM Reply
Mmmh! I can almost taste it.
Never tried one of these before. Sure I´m going for it this fall season!
Great job
XOXO
-
Melissa — September 5, 2015 @ 9:45 AM Reply
SCORE!!!!
Just amazing!
-
jane — September 1, 2015 @ 10:41 AM Reply
Made this tomato soup the other night. Did not use immersion blender, chunky was great and topped with milk in the bowl. So tonight I am cooking it down and making pasta sauce!!
-
Rose — August 13, 2015 @ 8:26 AM Reply
I’m not crazy about vegetable broth. Have you ever used any other broth?
-
Chungah — August 13, 2015 @ 10:47 PM Reply
Chicken broth would be a great substitute.
-
Juliana — May 3, 2015 @ 11:01 AM Reply
Hi, I live in Colombia and I’m not sure how to find “heavy cream”. Is it the same as Cream milk or sour cream? Or just regular whole milk? I’m planning on cooking this dish and thought of using some fresh/dried basil, but not sure when to use it, any advice? I love the grilled cheese croutons idea!!!
-
Chungah — May 4, 2015 @ 2:57 PM Reply
Heavy cream is not the same as sour cream or whole milk. Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, is whipping cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent. You can read more about it here. I recommend adding the basil when the tomatoes are being added.
-
Sarah — April 28, 2015 @ 12:27 PM Reply
I loved this! Any tips to make sure the cream does not curdle?
-
Chungah — April 28, 2015 @ 10:56 PM Reply
Sarah, here are some great tips that you can try: http://noshon.it/tips/prevent-creamy-soups-curdling/.
-
Deborah — February 22, 2015 @ 9:15 AM Reply
Thank you for the great recipes! I’ve made several already, and my husband and I have enjoyed every one. The soups are a treat on the very cold and snowy days in the northeast. This one is simmering on the stove right now!
-
louise — February 15, 2015 @ 5:06 AM Reply
Been meaning to make this for ages but only got round to it today….why did it take me so long?! I added a little extra spice though. Delicious, thank you 🙂
-
Rae — February 11, 2015 @ 7:13 AM Reply
Do you have any recommendations on lower calorie options for the cream?
Thanks for the amazing website 🙂
-
Chungah — February 11, 2015 @ 10:21 AM Reply
Half and half would be a great substitute!
-
Amy — January 31, 2015 @ 10:33 AM Reply
Anyone have any luck freezing this soup?
-
jodie — January 25, 2015 @ 9:23 AM Reply
This looks delicious. What do you recommend in place of heavy cream?
-
jolyn c — September 1, 2015 @ 1:36 PM Reply
i agree is there any way to substitute heavy cream?? i am not allergic to dairy but i am lactose intolerant intolerance
-
Cheesehead Foodie — January 7, 2015 @ 7:54 PM Reply
I made a double-batch of this super-simple soup on Monday, and my hubby said he could eat this every day…I think it’s a winner! 😉 I gave one container of it to a friend, but the rest of the double batch will be gone by tomorrow. We used homemade croutons instead of the grilled cheese croutons, because we had them already made, and we also added a few dollops of mascarpone & a handful of chopped fresh basil. Amazing!!! Thanks for the recipe!
-
Amanda — December 5, 2014 @ 5:15 PM Reply
was yummy! although, it should say 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided) or in the intructions state the amount of olive oil. I was omitting the grilled cheese and ended up using 2 tbsp of oil just for the oinions, garlic etc.
-
Chungah — December 5, 2014 @ 5:19 PM Reply
It is best to use 1 tablespoon olive oil for the grilled cheese and another tablespoon for the soup.
-
Will — November 21, 2014 @ 9:53 AM Reply
Can’t thank you enough for this wonderful recipe. Raised in southern Virginia, soup was a mainstay in our diet, especially Campbell’s Tomato Soup. But I’ve been looking for a more healthy version, and ran across your recipe. Already made two batches, and it is just downright yummy! No more cans of tomato soup for me, this is now my defacto go-to recipe for tomato soup.
-
Suzanne — February 26, 2014 @ 10:58 AM Reply
I’m so happy to bump into this recipe for creamy tomato soup! Made some from scratch, fresh tomatoes, once and this sounds much quicker and probably just as delicious. The cheezy croutons will be a wonderful garnish!
-
Genna — February 7, 2014 @ 1:31 PM Reply
I made this soup for tonight’s dinner and it was OH SO YUMMY! I’ve been looking for a really good tomato soup recipe and I have found it. You nailed it! Great job. Thanks
Catie — February 4, 2024 @ 4:45 PM Reply
Excellent and loved by all. I simmered longer to help flavors develop because I had the time. It was perfect for a cold February evening
Robin — October 12, 2023 @ 6:11 AM Reply
I’ve made this multiple times and me and my family LOVE it. Thanks Chungah for SO many great recipes. Your site is my default for dinner recipes because they have always been delicious!
John — April 9, 2022 @ 4:13 PM Reply
Delicious and easy to make. A real winner!
Allison Morales — April 8, 2022 @ 7:16 PM Reply
I would totallyyyyy! make it again!
Emily — April 5, 2021 @ 5:24 PM Reply
This is one of my favourite recipes! I make it with my brother every time I come home! We have been using it for years. One time I thought I could do it without the recipe and accidentally put 1/4 CUP red pepper flakes instead of 1/4 teaspoon. Needless to say it was SO spicy, but still amazingly fantastic. Highly highly recommend this to all my tomato soup lovers.
Sabena — November 26, 2020 @ 2:55 AM Reply
My son tried tomato soup for the 1st time in his life and went MMMMMMM!!!! So GOOD!! Enough said, so thank you for a wonderful, simple recipe that taste anything but simple. Followed the recipe to the best of my ability and changed nothing.
AMF — October 14, 2020 @ 5:57 PM Reply
This was delicious. Its also quick and easy! I did not have canned whole tomatoes, so I used canned crushed tomatoes. I also used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. It was awesome this way. I loved the “croutons.” Don’t skip them or substitute other croutons…they were so good!
Mig — May 19, 2020 @ 11:31 AM Reply
I made this yesterday and we are adding this to our favourites. Added a touch of paprika but even without, the soup was smooth, flavourful and moreish! Thank you so much.
Whitney — January 2, 2020 @ 10:21 AM Reply
Love this recipe! Whenever I get a hankerin’ for tomato soup, this is my go-to. Thanks, Chungah, for sharing your creativity in the kitchen. 🙂
Alice Su — February 21, 2019 @ 12:57 PM Reply
My family loved this!
I made it for lunch– it took no time. My husband is still shocked I made it.
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — February 22, 2019 @ 10:17 PM Reply
Amazing!
Mimi — January 21, 2019 @ 7:45 PM Reply
Tomato soup has been my favorite since I was a child (I’m 63), but not my husband’s. I made this today and my husband went back for seconds! This is so creamy and good, and easy to make. We will never eat canned tomato soup again. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — January 22, 2019 @ 11:26 AM Reply
Oh wow, that’s great!
Sydney — January 8, 2019 @ 3:49 PM Reply
I LOVE LOVE this recipe! It is absolutely incredible! Thank you for sharing it with the world! I love cooking this, it’s quick and easy! My family loves this soup!
Anne Martin — December 16, 2018 @ 3:36 AM Reply
I added cream of mushroom soup instead of the cream and it was perfect. I added it early not at the end. Healthy and delicious! I was out of tomato paste but it went fine with whatever tomato’s I had in the house plus I threw in some sun dried ones from the garden this summer (or use canned?). Loved it in San Francisco on a rainy day
Jen — December 3, 2018 @ 8:39 PM Reply
Thoughts on using fresh cherry tomatoes instead of canned whole? I have a ton of ch. tom. I need to use before they go bad.
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — December 4, 2018 @ 10:02 AM Reply
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Sandy evans — December 3, 2018 @ 3:11 PM Reply
So easy to prepare this tomato soup and it is very delicious. No need to buy the can soup as this far surpasses it in flavor!
Tracy — December 3, 2018 @ 11:24 AM Reply
This looks wonderful, I’ll make this soon, but I’d like to know why whole tomatoes and not diced? Every recipe I’ve made so far of yours has been awesome. Thank you!
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — December 3, 2018 @ 4:55 PM Reply
I prefer whole tomatoes in this recipe but you can substitute diced to suit your needs. 🙂
Louise — November 11, 2018 @ 3:25 PM Reply
This was delicious!
Kari — December 11, 2016 @ 5:15 AM Reply
Can I fix this ahead and put in crockpot to keep warm?
-
Chungah — December 11, 2016 @ 7:49 AM Reply
Yes!
Lauren — August 11, 2016 @ 12:07 PM Reply
Is it OK to use whole milk instead of heavy cream? And I don’t have an immersion blender, is it fine to skip that step?
-
Chungah — August 15, 2016 @ 11:40 AM Reply
Yes, it is okay to substitute whole milk.
Do you have access to a blender? I do not recommend skipping this step.
Shelly Kramer — March 3, 2016 @ 4:08 PM Reply
So delicious!!!! For those looking for a substitute for heavy cream, I used coconut cream I had as a can in the fridge! Turned out awesome. I also didn’t have cans of tomatoes, so I used two cans of tomato sauce and threw in 6 large ripe tomatoes!
Pam Dohm — January 13, 2016 @ 10:01 AM Reply
I have pinned several of your recipes!!! We have loved them all!!! This one was made on the spur of the moment–6 people arrived! And hungry!!! Raves from all. Easy to make, fun and superb!! Please keep your recipes coming and Thank you!!!
Kristie — October 15, 2015 @ 5:03 PM Reply
I made this soup tonight. We topped our with garlic pepper and fresh Parmesan cheese. I may never make canned tomato soup again. Thanks for sharing.
Raquel — October 7, 2015 @ 8:59 PM Reply
Mmmh! I can almost taste it.
Never tried one of these before. Sure I´m going for it this fall season!
Great job
XOXO
Melissa — September 5, 2015 @ 9:45 AM Reply
SCORE!!!!
Just amazing!
jane — September 1, 2015 @ 10:41 AM Reply
Made this tomato soup the other night. Did not use immersion blender, chunky was great and topped with milk in the bowl. So tonight I am cooking it down and making pasta sauce!!
Rose — August 13, 2015 @ 8:26 AM Reply
I’m not crazy about vegetable broth. Have you ever used any other broth?
-
Chungah — August 13, 2015 @ 10:47 PM Reply
Chicken broth would be a great substitute.
Juliana — May 3, 2015 @ 11:01 AM Reply
Hi, I live in Colombia and I’m not sure how to find “heavy cream”. Is it the same as Cream milk or sour cream? Or just regular whole milk? I’m planning on cooking this dish and thought of using some fresh/dried basil, but not sure when to use it, any advice? I love the grilled cheese croutons idea!!!
-
Chungah — May 4, 2015 @ 2:57 PM Reply
Heavy cream is not the same as sour cream or whole milk. Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, is whipping cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent. You can read more about it here. I recommend adding the basil when the tomatoes are being added.
Sarah — April 28, 2015 @ 12:27 PM Reply
I loved this! Any tips to make sure the cream does not curdle?
-
Chungah — April 28, 2015 @ 10:56 PM Reply
Sarah, here are some great tips that you can try: http://noshon.it/tips/prevent-creamy-soups-curdling/.
Deborah — February 22, 2015 @ 9:15 AM Reply
Thank you for the great recipes! I’ve made several already, and my husband and I have enjoyed every one. The soups are a treat on the very cold and snowy days in the northeast. This one is simmering on the stove right now!
louise — February 15, 2015 @ 5:06 AM Reply
Been meaning to make this for ages but only got round to it today….why did it take me so long?! I added a little extra spice though. Delicious, thank you 🙂
Rae — February 11, 2015 @ 7:13 AM Reply
Do you have any recommendations on lower calorie options for the cream?
Thanks for the amazing website 🙂
-
Chungah — February 11, 2015 @ 10:21 AM Reply
Half and half would be a great substitute!
Amy — January 31, 2015 @ 10:33 AM Reply
Anyone have any luck freezing this soup?
jodie — January 25, 2015 @ 9:23 AM Reply
This looks delicious. What do you recommend in place of heavy cream?
-
jolyn c — September 1, 2015 @ 1:36 PM Reply
i agree is there any way to substitute heavy cream?? i am not allergic to dairy but i am lactose intolerant intolerance
Cheesehead Foodie — January 7, 2015 @ 7:54 PM Reply
I made a double-batch of this super-simple soup on Monday, and my hubby said he could eat this every day…I think it’s a winner! 😉 I gave one container of it to a friend, but the rest of the double batch will be gone by tomorrow. We used homemade croutons instead of the grilled cheese croutons, because we had them already made, and we also added a few dollops of mascarpone & a handful of chopped fresh basil. Amazing!!! Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda — December 5, 2014 @ 5:15 PM Reply
was yummy! although, it should say 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided) or in the intructions state the amount of olive oil. I was omitting the grilled cheese and ended up using 2 tbsp of oil just for the oinions, garlic etc.
-
Chungah — December 5, 2014 @ 5:19 PM Reply
It is best to use 1 tablespoon olive oil for the grilled cheese and another tablespoon for the soup.
Will — November 21, 2014 @ 9:53 AM Reply
Can’t thank you enough for this wonderful recipe. Raised in southern Virginia, soup was a mainstay in our diet, especially Campbell’s Tomato Soup. But I’ve been looking for a more healthy version, and ran across your recipe. Already made two batches, and it is just downright yummy! No more cans of tomato soup for me, this is now my defacto go-to recipe for tomato soup.
Suzanne — February 26, 2014 @ 10:58 AM Reply
I’m so happy to bump into this recipe for creamy tomato soup! Made some from scratch, fresh tomatoes, once and this sounds much quicker and probably just as delicious. The cheezy croutons will be a wonderful garnish!
Genna — February 7, 2014 @ 1:31 PM Reply
I made this soup for tonight’s dinner and it was OH SO YUMMY! I’ve been looking for a really good tomato soup recipe and I have found it. You nailed it! Great job. Thanks
