Creamy Tomato Soup Shooters with Grilled Cheese Sticks
User Reviews
4.9
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
4 to 6 (with some extra soup)
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Creamy Tomato Soup Shooters with Grilled Cheese Sticks
Description
This recipe starts with a slow-cooked tomato soup base sautéing shallots and garlic in butter until soft and golden, then building flavor with tomato paste and canned fire-roasted tomatoes. Cooking sherry and chicken stock introduce depth and subtle acidity, balanced by brown sugar and dried basil. After simmering, the soup is pureed smooth and enriched with heavy cream, creating a luxurious and silky texture.
The grilled cheese sticks are constructed from slices of bread spread with softened brown butter, filled with a blend of fontina, gruyere, and Parmesan cheeses. Cooking on medium-low heat ensures the bread crisps gently while the cheese melts thoroughly inside. These sticks can be dipped into the tomato soup, providing a contrast of crunchy exterior and creamy interior alongside the creamy soup.
The soup shooters garnished with snipped chives add a fresh, herbaceous note. This setup suits appetizer servings or small bites for gatherings and makes for a comforting pairing of creamy soup with rich, satisfying grilled cheese.
Softened brown butter used on the bread intensifies the nutty flavor without overpowering the cheeses. Careful control of heat when cooking grilled cheese sticks prevents burning while ensuring the cheese melts perfectly. Season soup to taste after cream addition to balance tomato acidity fully.
Ingredients
tomato soup
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 shallot sliced
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 fire-roasted tomatoes canned 28 oz
- 2/3 cup cooking sherry
- 1/3 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon basil dried
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- chives freshly snipped for garnish
grilled cheese sticks
- 8 lices bread
- brown butter softened for spreading
- 8 ounces fontina cheese freshly grated
- 6 ounces gruyere cheese freshly grated
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and add the butter. Add in the shallots and garlic, cooking until soft and slightly golden and stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, sherry, chicken stock, brown sugar, basil, salt and pepper, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the soup to a high-powered blender and carefully blend until pureed. Transfer back to the pot over low heat. Right before serving, stir in the heavy cream. Taste and season additionally with salt and pepper if needed – it might, depending on your tomatoes. To serve, drizzle the soup with the extra cream and garnish with chives.
grilled cheese sticks
- Spread the outsides of the bread with the softened butter. Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Toss the fontina and gruyere and parm together, then fill the sandwiches with the cheese, topping the bread with a slice buttered-side up. Cook the sandwiches until golden on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per side, and the cheese is melted. Let them cool slightly, then slice into “sticks” with a serrated knife. Serve with the soup shooters.
Notes
- Prepare softened brown butter in advance by browning butter and allowing it to cool completely before spreading on bread.
- Cook grilled cheese sticks over medium-low heat to achieve melted cheese without burning the bread.
- Adjust seasoning of the soup after adding cream to balance acidity and sweetness based on tomato quality.
- Garnish soup shooters with fresh snipped chives to add a mild onion flavor and color contrast.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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