Tomato soup and grilled sandwiches – such an iconic and delicious food pairing! There’s just something so comforting about dipping cheesy bread into a rich and smoky tomato soup. This soup is also packed full of hidden vegetables and nourishing bone broth, perfect for when you’re feeling a bit under the weather or when you just need a hug for your insides.
Tomato soup; it’s one of those dishes that can sit on either end of the health spectrum: comes in a can, full of sugar, preservatives and a single ingredient or homemade and filled with a variety of vegetables, nutrients and naturally delicious flavours.
Tomato soup, pasta sauces and other tomato based condiments are often flavoured with an obscene amount of sugar. Next time you go shopping makes sure to look closely at the ingredients list and find out where it might be hiding before you buy. I’m not against sugar in moderation (hello desserts! Salted caramel everything yes please!), but there is no reason for sugar to be added to and disguised within soups, sauces, milk, nut pastes etc. This is one reason why I firmly believe in cooking at home as much as possible. You know EXACTLY what ingredients are going into your meals and it’s your decision to consume them. Knowledge is power!
Tomatoes are naturally sweet and roasting them brings out their natural sugars even further. I also added some dried dates to this recipe which is a great natural alternative to add that hint of sweetness which is often expected in a classic tomato soup. The dates are completely optional though, don’t add them in if you don’t want – it will still be delicious.
I also love seeing how many other vegetables I can add to recipes and hide within them ? If you have fussy kids, adding vegetables and blending them into soups and sauces is a great way to give them more variety in their diet without the opposition.
You can use this same recipe as a base for pasta sauce or pizza sauce. Add in extra vegetables like carrots, capsicum (bell peppers), eggplant and blend them in. Just don’t add as much water or allow the soup the reduce over a longer period of time to turn this from a soup into a sauce.
Onto the soup!
Line a baking tray / rimmed cookie sheet with baking paper. Wash your tomatoes, cut them into quarters and remove the stem sections. Place them onto the tray, skin side down. Peel the garlic cloves and place amongst the tomatoes. Sprinkle everything with salt and drizzle generously with olive oil.
Roast at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) for an hour or until the tops of the tomatoes have started to blister and blacken (this is what gives the soup a nice roasted, smoky flavour). Note: roasting the tomatoes and garlic can be done the day before or even kept in the freezer or fridge until ready to make into soup.
When the tomatoes have finished roasting, roughly dice the onion and celery. In a large pot, add the tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and heat on medium-high. When the oil is hot, add in the onion, celery and Italian herbs. Sauté until they start to become translucent and the herbs are fragrant.
Add in your roast tomatoes and garlic and roughly chop the zucchini and two of the dried dates and add these in as well. Add in the tomato paste, stock, water and bay leaves and stir all ingredients together. Bring the soup to the boil and then turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, remove your butter from the fridge and let it soften.
At the 30 minute mark, taste the soup – add in salt, pepper and additional chopped dried dates for sweetness depending on your tastes. Simmer for a further 10 minutes for the flavours to come together. When the soup is done, remove the bay leaves and use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth.
Make your toasted sandwiches! Butter your four slices of gluten-free bread (one side only). Sprinkle the buttered side with a little dried rosemary. Trust me, the dried rosemary really brings out the savoury flavours of the grilled cheese 😛 Place two slices onto a sandwich press (butter side down) and top with cheese and ham. Place the other slices on top and toast until golden and the cheese is melty.
Serve toasted sandwiches with a big bowl of hearty soup sprinkled with parmesan cheese and fresh basil – enjoy!
Roast Tomato Soup with Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredients
- Roast Tomato Soup
- 5 kilos fresh tomatoes
- 4 ~6 garlic cloves
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large Red Onion or 2 smaller Onions
- 4 stalks of Celery
- 1 Teaspoon Italian Herbs
- 1 Zucchini
- 2 ~4 dried dates optional
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 Litre bone broth / stock vegetable, chicken or beef
- 1 Litre water
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
- 4 slices gluten-free bread
- 4 slices cheese e.g. Jarlsberg Havarti, Colby or Mozzarella
- 4 slices shaved ham
- Softened salted butter
- Dried Rosemary
Instructions
- Line a baking tray / rimmed cookie sheet with baking paper
- Wash your tomatoes, cut them into quarters and remove the stem sections. Place them onto the tray, skin side down
- Peel the garlic cloves and place amongst the tomatoes
- Sprinkle everything with salt and drizzle generously with olive oil
- Roast at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) for an hour or until the tops of the tomatoes have started to blister and blacken (this is what gives the soup a nice roasted, smoky flavour)
- When the tomatoes have finished roasting, roughly dice the onion and celery
- In a large pot, add the tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and heat on medium-high. When the oil is hot, add in the onion, celery and Italian herbs. Sauté until they start to become translucent and the herbs are fragrant
- Add in your roast tomatoes and garlic and roughly chop the zucchini and x2 of the dried dates and add these in as well.
- Add in the tomato paste, stock, water and bay leaves and stir all ingredients together
- Bring the soup to the boil and then turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes
- While the soup is simmering, remove your butter from the fridge and let it soften
- At the 30 minute mark, taste the soup – add in salt, pepper and additional chopped dried dates for sweetness depending on your tastes. Simmer for a further 10 minutes for the flavours to come together
- When the soup is done, remove the bay leaves. Use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth.
- Make your toasted sandwiches! Butter your four slices of gluten-free bread (one side only). Sprinkle the buttered side with a little dried rosemary
- Place two slices onto a sandwich press (butter side down) and top with cheese and ham. Place the other slices on top and toast until golden and the cheese is melty
- Serve toasted sandwiches with a big bowl of hearty soup sprinkled with parmesan and fresh basil – enjoy!
Notes
- Roasting the tomatoes and garlic can be done the day before or even kept in the freezer or fridge until ready to make into soup
- You can also use this soup as a base for pasta sauce. Simply sauté mince, add more vegetables (like broccoli and carrots), add the tomato soup and some dried or fresh basil, simmer until the flavours combine and then serve over pasta
- Place leftover soup into containers and freeze
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