This delicious Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons, inspired by Ina Garten, is a comforting, quick, and creamy meal perfect for chilly days. It’s made simple with common pantry ingredients like tomatoes, onions, and cream, topped off with crispy, cheesy Gruyère croutons for extra indulgence.
Ingredients Needed
- 3 tbsp good quality olive oil
- 450g chopped yellow onions (about 2 large onions)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 1 litre chicken stock, homemade preferred
- 1 x 800g tin crushed tomatoes, San Marzano recommended
- Large pinch saffron threads
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 75g orzo pasta
- 120ml double cream
For the Grilled Cheese Croutons:
- 4 slices thick country-style white bread
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 115g Gruyère cheese, grated
How To Make Easy Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons
- Cook onions and garlic: In a large pot or casserole dish, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Make the soup base: Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, saffron, 1 tbsp sea salt, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Cook orzo pasta: Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil (add about 2 tsp salt). Cook orzo for 7 minutes; it will finish cooking in the soup. Drain and add to the soup.
- Finish the soup: Stir in double cream, return to a gentle simmer, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often.
Grilled Cheese Croutons:
- Assemble sandwiches: Preheat a sandwich press or panini grill. Brush one side of each bread slice with melted butter, making sure to reach the corners. Flip two slices butter-side-down and pile generously with grated Gruyère. Place remaining bread slices on top, butter-side-up.
- Grill and cut: Grill the sandwiches for around 5 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a chopping board, rest for 1 minute, then cut into 2.5cm cubes.
- Serve: Serve soup hot with crispy grilled cheese croutons scattered on top.
Recipe Tips
- Slow-cook your onions: Cook them gently for at least 15 minutes until they’re golden brown. This step adds sweetness and richer flavour to your soup.
- Use good quality canned tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes are sweet and flavourful, making your soup taste better than regular tomatoes.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Cook orzo pasta halfway separately; it finishes cooking in the soup and stays firm, not mushy.
- Saffron makes a difference: Even a small pinch adds rich colour and a subtle, unique flavour. It’s worth using if you have it.
- Make crispy grilled cheese croutons: Grill until golden brown and crispy to give the soup a tasty, crunchy topping everyone loves.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Transfer leftover Easy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Transfer leftover Easy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese to freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving space for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm leftover Easy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese gently on the hob over medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes until hot, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 of 6 servings
- Calories: 409
- Total Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Cholesterol: 48mg
- Sodium: 905mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 55g
- Dietary Fiber: 8g
- Sugars: 21g
- Protein: 14g
Try More Recipes:
Barefoot Contessa Easy Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons
Description
This delicious Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons, inspired by Ina Garten, is a comforting, quick, and creamy meal perfect for chilly days. It’s made simple with common pantry ingredients like tomatoes, onions, and cream, topped off with crispy, cheesy Gruyère croutons for extra indulgence.
Ingredients
For the Grilled Cheese Croutons:
Instructions
- Cook onions and garlic: In a large pot or casserole dish, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Make the soup base: Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, saffron, 1 tbsp sea salt, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Cook orzo pasta: Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil (add about 2 tsp salt). Cook orzo for 7 minutes; it will finish cooking in the soup. Drain and add to the soup.
- Finish the soup: Stir in double cream, return to a gentle simmer, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Assemble sandwiches: Preheat a sandwich press or panini grill. Brush one side of each bread slice with melted butter, making sure to reach the corners. Flip two slices butter-side-down and pile generously with grated Gruyère. Place remaining bread slices on top, butter-side-up.
- Grill and cut: Grill the sandwiches for around 5 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a chopping board, rest for 1 minute, then cut into 2.5cm cubes.
- Serve: Serve soup hot with crispy grilled cheese croutons scattered on top.
Grilled Cheese Croutons:
Notes
- Slow-cook your onions: Cook them gently for at least 15 minutes until they’re golden brown. This step adds sweetness and richer flavour to your soup.
- Use good quality canned tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes are sweet and flavourful, making your soup taste better than regular tomatoes.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Cook orzo pasta halfway separately; it finishes cooking in the soup and stays firm, not mushy.
- Saffron makes a difference: Even a small pinch adds rich colour and a subtle, unique flavour. It’s worth using if you have it.
- Make crispy grilled cheese croutons: Grill until golden brown and crispy to give the soup a tasty, crunchy topping everyone loves.
Barefoot Contessa Easy Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons