Its been pretty dark and dreary here in Seattle the past couple of days. On days like this I just want to say in the house, curl up with a good book and eat a childhood favorite, grilled cheese and tomato soup. There is just something about that gooey cheesy sandwich being dunked into hot, steamy homemade tomato soup. To be more precise, I mean homemade tomato soup that is loaded with fire roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, white wine, garlic and a little half and half for good measure. You’ll be surprised at how easy it actually is.
I decided to use a can of crushed fire roasted tomatoes for this recipe because I like the extra background flavor that they bring to the dish. There are a few different brands that carry them such as Muir Glen and you should be able to find them at your local grocery store. If you can’t find them, using a can of regular crushed tomatoes will work, it won’t have entirely the same flavor but it will be just as good.
This recipe produces a chunkier tomato soup than many people may be accustomed to. If you don’t like it too chunky use your immersion blender or transfer in batches to a regular blender to smooth things out a bit after you add the half and half.
Zola
September 10, 2014 at 5:26 pmDesiree – It’s a cool late summer evening where I am, almost three years after you made this post. I was looking for recipe inspiration to use white wine and an abundance of fresh tomatoes, so I made several modifications based on what I have on hand. My partner is vegan, so I don’t keep a lot of dairy products on hand. To start, I used Earth Balance instead of butter. I cut the tomatoes in half, broiled them until blackened (about 8 minutes), and used those instead of canned. I didn’t have any broth, so I seasoned the same amount of water with salt and pepper, and also added more fresh garlic at the beginning. The added freshness of the tomatoes made up for the lack of broth. I skipped the cream, though with the immersion blender, I didn’t miss it. It was a bit thin, so I added more of the Earth Balance butter. A swirl of basil-lemon pesto in each bowl made for a nice summery twist. I look forward to trying your recipe as-is: cold weather will be here soon enough!
Nichole
February 15, 2013 at 8:06 pmOh ~ if I am out of white wine I’ve had good luck substituting an equal amount of broth with a squeeze of lemon juice (to mimic the wine’s acidity).
Nichole
February 15, 2013 at 8:02 pmI bookmarked this ages ago and finally got around to making it just before Christmas. I think it’s appeared on our table at least once a week since then. =) It initially caught my eye because of how quick it would go together but it’s a keeper because of the fantastic flavor. Love it! Thanks for sharing it.
Val
February 1, 2012 at 4:20 amDeseree, I don’t usually leave comments on blogs that aren’t written by my friends, but I just really want to compliment you on this soup. I know it’s simple, but it is the definition of perfection. I think some of the best recipes are those that don’t use a ton of ingredients or have a series of complicated steps. There aren’t many recipes that I use over a long period of time because I get bored of them, but I’ve been making this since last year and my kids and I consider it a treat every time. The only thing I do different is use heavy cream because… Well, I just love cream, lol! Also (note to others) if I’ve drunk all my wine (hmm…) I just use a bit more broth. The wine adds depth but it’s delish w/o too.
Teenuh
June 21, 2011 at 11:04 amHi! First time commenter here! I frequently visit your blog. You have an awesome collection of recipes and easy to follow!
First of all – Congratulations on your baby!!!
I just had a question regarding this recipe, what if I want to omit the white wine, would I have to put something else in its place? Thanksss!
Deseree
June 21, 2011 at 7:01 pmThanks Teenuh! If you omit the white, I would just substitute 1/4 more vegetable broth.
Amy
November 7, 2009 at 4:06 pmJust made this soup for dinner and the uber-picky boyfriend LOVED it! I served it with a grilled cheese sandwich for him and a smoked mozzarella and pesto quesadilla for me. I will make this all winter long! Thanks for the recipe…it was super easy and unbelievably tasty!
Deseree
November 9, 2009 at 11:15 amAmy- You’re welcome! And that mozzarella and pesto quesadilla sounds absolutely divine. What a great thing to serve with tomato soup. :)
Deseree
November 4, 2009 at 11:28 amRita- You’re welcome!
Barbara- You’re welcome! I love the idea that you made this in the crockpot. I bet cooking it for 2 hours really helped bring out all of the flavor.
Meredtih- I hope you enjoy it!
Meredith
November 4, 2009 at 11:05 amI can’t wait to get home tonight so I can make this for dinner!
Barbara
November 3, 2009 at 6:22 pmHello, I came across your recipe on TasteSpotting, and made it tonight. Had to pick up hubby from the airport so I followed your directions through to where the cream goes in (I didn’t have any h&h), then I poured it in the crockpot and let it go on High for about two hours. It smelled great when we walked in and it tasted really good, sort of earthy and non-fussy, wholesome and homecooked. Served it with grilled cheese and a wintery green salad with mustard dressing. Great comfort meal, thanks for the inspiration!
rita
November 2, 2009 at 4:55 amwow this soup looks and sounds delicious, i’m definitely going to have to try this. thanks for posting!
Dana
October 31, 2009 at 11:04 amYour soup looks fantastic. I like to have some, right now.
It’s perfect for such a cold autumn day!
Deseree
October 31, 2009 at 12:58 pmThanks Dana!