Recipe: Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese with Fig & Prosciutto

Tomato soup and grilled cheese: the classic combo. Much like salt and pepper, Salt-N-Pepa, and... well, you get it.

Rainy weather? Tomato soup.

Scraped your knee falling off your bike? Tomato soup.

Got your foot ran over by a taxi? Tomato soup.

Hungry for liquids? TOMATO SOUP.

See the 60-second recipe video here.

If you're still here, I hope you give this relatively simple, delicious, and satisfying tomato soup recipe a try. In under 30 minutes, you can put household canned varieties to rest.

Bursting with rich tomato flavor fortified with chicken stock, a touch of cream, sautéed onions and garlic, and a pinch of spice, this recipe elevates your run-of-the-mill tomato soup with just enough nostalgia to remind us of simpler times.

Who are we kidding? Tomato soup is just an excuse to have a grilled cheese. Slap some fig jam and prosciutto on that bad boy and you have yourself a one-way ticket to flavor town.

Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese with Fig Jam and Prosciutto

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Tomato Soup

• 3 14oz cans of whole tomatoes

• 1 medium onion, finely sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 cup chicken stock/broth (or vegetable stock)

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped (for garnish)

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 Tbsp sugar

• 1/2 Tbsp dried chili flake

• 1/2 Tbsp celery salt

• 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano

• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Grilled Cheese with Fig Jam and Prosciutto

• Sliced sourdough (or other hearty bread)

• 4 slices of prosciutto (bacon, ham, etc.)

• 1/2 cup jack cheese, shredded (use your favorite cheese)

• 2 Tbsp fig jam (other fruit jams, preserves, caramelized onion spread, etc.)

• 1 Tbsp butter

Making the tomato soup:

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat; add butter and briefly stir until melted; add onions and garlic and allow to cook, stirring occasionally until translucent and softened, about 8 minutes

2. In the sauce pot, add the tomatoes and all liquid from the cans, chicken stock, heavy cream, chili flakes, oregano, and celery salt, sugar, and a pinch of salt + black pepper to taste

3. Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, crush the tomatoes until roughly broken up; stir well and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

4. Using an immersion blender or countertop blender, blend soup until well-combined, glossy, and slightly thickened; return soup to sauce pot if necessary, place on medium-low heat, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes

5. Serve in your desired vessel, garnish with a pinch of fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil

Making the grilled cheese

1. Place prosciutto in cold skillet and increase heat to medium; allow to cook until rendered and crispy, about 1-2 minutes per side; remove from pan and set aside until ready for use

2. Butter the outside of each slice of bread and spread fig jam evenly on the inside of both slices; place half the cheese on the bottom half, layer on prosciutto and add the rest of the cheese; top with the other slice of bread

3. Preheat skillet over medium heat; place sandwich into skillet and weigh down with a bowl or other heat-safe heavy object; allow to cook on both sides until bread is golden brown and crispy, and cheese has melted

4. Remove from pan, cut into desired shape, and immediately serve

Let me know how this recipe turned out for you in the comments below! And, as always, if you have any questions, comments, insults, or praise do let me know!

-MT