Chipotle Tomato Soup & Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Growing up I always loved a hot bowl of soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.  I would dunk the sandwich in the soup and love every single bite.  As I got older I would make this same meal for myself but always felt like something was missing, mostly flavor.  I think the issue is that I am no longer 12 and want my soup taste fresh and delicious, and more importantly not come from a can!  This recipe is a smoky, spicy version of tomato soup, which is delicious by itself but goes great with a grilled cheese sandwich!

Chipotle Tomato Soup (serves 4-6)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups yellow onion small dice
1 cup carrots small dice
1 cup celery small dice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes with juice
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes without juice
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups half and half cream

Dice your onion, carrots, celery, and set aside.  Place a large pot on medium heat, once its hot add your oil.  Add your garlic to the oil, stir for five seconds then add the vegetables and stir until it stops smoking.  Add salt and pepper to season, then add in your thyme, oregano, basil.  Cook for ten to fifteen minutes until vegetables have softened and onions are translucent.  Finely chop the chipotle peppers and add to pot, stir.  Let peppers cook in for five minutes, then add your tomatoes, all four cans.  Add two cups vegetable broth, simmer for twenty minutes.  At this point I add a slurry of flour and vegetable stock (1 tablespoon flour and just enought liquid to make it watery not powerdery) to thicken the soup, this is not necessary but I like my tomato soup thick as opposed to watery.  If you add the slurry stir in slowly, then bring soup to a boil for three minutes to remove the flour taste.  Let simmer on low heat until your almost ready to serve, then add your cream.  Enjoy!!!


Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Sourdough bread cut into 3/4 inch slices
Onion and chive cream cheese
1 slice medium chedder
1 slice horseradish chedder
1 slice smoked gouda
room temperature butter

Other ingredients to add to the base of the sandwich: bacon, tomato slices, beef brisket, or whatever sounds good to you.

Explaining the steps to making a grilled cheese sandwich is more difficult than it seems, but here we go anyway...The cream cheese is spread thinly on the inside of both slices of bread, the slices of cheese also go inside the sandwich.  Close the sandwich and butter the top of the sandwich. Place buttered side down in a hot pan (medium heat, any hotter and the bread will burn not toast).  Butter the top part of the sandwich while it's in the pan, so you don't make a mess of your counters.  Once the bread is toasted on both sides (time differs so you have to watch it closely or it will burn) open the sandwich back up and place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is melted.  Carefully close the sandwich, it is VERY hot and will burn your hands.  Now sit down on the couch, put on a good movie and enjoy a piece of childhood!  Eat up!!!