Tomato soup + cheese toastie

Tomato soup is a simple dish, but when served with a melty toastie it ticks all the boxes for a comforting meal as the days get shorter and colder. My tomato soup recipe is made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, including canned tomatoes, which means it's perfect for a simple meal to make between your grocery shops.

As our hot Australian summers come to a close each year with the weather getting colder, I always start making more soup. I'm not sure why it is - probably because my mother did the same thing - but we start to swap salad + grilled meats for soup as our go to simple meals.

What you need to make Tomato Soup

• A large non-reactive pot for making the soup, with a lid.
• A stick blender, food processor or blender for blending the soup.
• Frying pan or sandwich press for making the toastie.

Tomato soup ingredients

• Onion and carrot add flavour to the dish and bring some sweetness to the soup.
• Chilli/red pepper flakes add a little punch, if that's your thing. Keep it out if it's not.
• Tomato paste brings an intense tomato-ey flavour.
• Canned tomatoes - as the core of the dish, use the best quality you can afford.
• Brown sugar offsets the naturally acidic tomatoes. Add it slowly, stirring as you go, and taste as you go.
• Vegetable stock - stock cube is fine, fresh is best. If you don't have stock just use water and salt. Always use salt reduced varieties and adjust seasoning before serving.

For the toastie:

• Good quality bread, preferably sourdough. Don't slice it too thick because the bread will burn before the cheese melts.
• Cheddar cheese of your choice. I like to use an aged cheddar as I feel it pairs well with the soup.
• Butter to spread on the outside of the bread before toasting.

To garnish (optional):

• A little thickened/heavy cream.
• Freshly minced chives.

How to make Tomato Soup and Toastie

1. Prepare vegetables - slice the onion, and then peel, quarter and then slice the carrot.

   

2. Cook onion - use a large stainless steel or other non-reactive pot and add the extra virgin olive oil (1). Heat over medium heat, and when warm, add the onion (2). Cook for about 5 minutes until translucent (3), but don't brown it off.

   

3. Add tomato paste and chilli - add the tomato paste and chilli/red pepper flakes, if using. Cook and continue to stir for about 30 seconds, until the tomato paste is just starting to darken.

4. Add tomato, stock and carrot - Add the canned tomato, vegetable stock and carrot. Scrape the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon to deglaze any cooked on flavour.

   

5. Cook - bring to the boil and place a lid on your pot. Reduce heat to medium so it is simmering. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the carrot is soft.

   

6. Make toasties - make each of the toasties by placing the cheese between two slices of bread. If you're using a sandwich press, butter the top and bottom slices before placing it in the press.

7. Cook toasties - while the soup is cooking, start cooking the toasties. If you're using a pan, heat it over medium and add a knob of butter (1). Place the bread down and rub it around to absorb the butter (2). Keep an eye on the bottom and reduce heat as needed if it is burning. When the bottom has browned, add another knob of butter and flip the toastie (3). Repeat until all toasties are cooked.

   

8. Blend - using a stick blender, blender or food processor (1), process the soup until it is smooth (2).

   

9. Adjust seasoning - slowly add the sugar, stirring and tasting as you go. Add salt and pepper if you feel that it needs it.

   

10. Serve - serve the soup in a bowl, optionally with a drizzle of cream and some freshly minced chives, along with the toastie.

Can I use fresh tomatoes instead?

Yes you can - but it's worth noting that canned tomatoes are generally canned at peak freshness.

Substitute canned for fresh at the same weight, selecting large and ripe plum tomatoes. Use a paring knife to remove the core and blanch for 1 minute in boiling water. Remove from the water and place into an ice bath. When cooled, peel the skins off and then coarsely chop before adding to the soup.

What sort of pot should I cook the soup in?

Due to the acidity present in the tomatoes, you should use a non-reactive pot. Stainless steel and enameled cast iron are both non-reactive. Avoid cast iron or other bare metal pots.

Can I freeze the soup?

Yes, the soup freezes well for up to 3 months. I suggest defrosting in the fridge over 24 hours and reheating in a pot, however you can microwave from frozen if that's more convenient.

Tomato Soup + Toastie

Unrated

Sam Knight

Vegetable soup Tomato

Prep	Cook	Total
5 mins	15 mins	20 mins

Serves 4

Made with staple ingredients, this tomato soup with cheese toastie is a quick and simple mood and perfect for a winters night.

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Medium onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chilli/red pepper flakes optional
• 800g can diced tomatoes see note 1
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock see note 2
• Medium carrot, peeled, quartered and sliced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or to taste

For the toastie

• 8 slices quality rustic bread ideally sourdough, cut about 1cm thick
• 4 slices cheddar cheese I prefer aged/vintage cheddar
• Butter

To garnish, optional

• 80ml (1/3 cup) thickened/heavy cream
• Freshly minced chives

Steps

1. Cook onion - use a large stainless steel or other non-reactive pot and add the extra virgin olive oil. Heat over medium heat, and when warm, add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until translucent, but don't brown it off.
2. Add tomato paste and chilli - add the tomato paste and chilli/red pepper flakes, if using. Cook and continue to stir for about 30 seconds, until the tomato paste is just starting to darken.
3. Add tomato, stock and carrot - Add the canned tomato, vegetable stock and carrot. Scrape the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon to deglaze any cooked on flavour.
4. Cook - bring to the boil and place a lid on your pot. Reduce heat to medium so it is simmering. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the carrot is soft.
5. Make toasties - make each of the toasties by placing the cheese between two slices of bread. If you're using a sandwich press, butter the top and bottom slices before placing it in the press.
6. Cook toasties - while the soup is cooking, start cooking the toasties. If you're using a pan, heat it over medium and add a knob of butter. Place the bread down and rub it around to absorb the butter. Keep an eye on the bottom and reduce heat as needed if it is burning. When the bottom has browned, add another knob of butter and flip the toastie. Repeat until all toasties are cooked.
7. Blend - using a stick blender, blender or food processor, process the soup until it is smooth.
8. Adjust seasoning - slowly add the sugar, stirring and tasting as you go. Add salt and pepper if you feel that it needs it.
9. Serve - serve the soup in a bowl, optionally with a drizzle of cream and some freshly minced chives, along with the toastie.

Notes

1. Tomato - use the best quality canned tomatoes you can get. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, use equivalent weight and core the tomatoes, and blanch for 1 minute. Chill in ice water and peel the skin, and then coarsely chop before adding to the pot.
2. Stock - stock powder or cube is fine here. Use reduced salt varieties and adjust seasoning before serving.
3. Toastie - If you cook the toasties in a pan, you can keep them warm in an 80C oven after toasting - just put them on the grates, because if you put them on a tray or plate they'll go soggy.
4. Freezing - freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container. For best results, defrost in the fridge a day before you want to use and reheat in a pot over medium heat. Use a microwave if you need a more immediate result.
5. Storage - soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make toasties fresh as required. Reheat soup in a pot over medium heat, or in the microwave.