When I was little this was one of my favorite things to eat after a day of playing in the snow. After we moved to Arizona, my standards changed and now any day under 70 degrees works for me. Fresh tomato soup sounds like a pain, but, trust me, it’s easy and well worth the effort.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and carefully drop in the tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute and drain off the water. (Blanching the tomatoes makes them a snap to peel.) Peel the tomatoes and remove and discard the stems. Place the tomatoes in the saucepan and squish them with your hands or smash them with a fork to break them into small pieces. Season with salt and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft. Add the baking soda and stir well. Stir in the milk and 2 tablespoons butter and cook for 10 minutes, or until hot. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Butter one side of each of the bread slices and place 4 slices in the pan, buttered side down. Place 2 slices of cheese on each piece of bread and top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side up. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.
Step 3
Place some of the soup in each bowl. Cut the grilled cheese in half and serve alongside the soup.
