Roasted Tomato Basil Soup w/ Vegan Three Cheese Pesto Grilled Cheese
Difficulty: 3/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 1/3 (3 being spiciest)
Prep & Cook Time: 70-80 minutes
Servings: 4-6
The Challenge: Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese
Who says vegans can’t eat epic gourmet grilled cheese with their hearty, chunky, warm tomato basil soup?
Tell them to kiss off because I have an EPIC recipe for you today with from scratch tomato basil soup and some kicked up grilled cheese that uses three vegan cheeses (100% dairy-free) and a homemade pesto that is literally TO DIE FOR. It is so, so, so damn good.
For the soup, we start with roasting a few pounds of roma tomatoes with fresh thyme, oregano, and olive oil in the oven. We caramelize onions + carrots with fresh herbs + spices then throw in the roasted tomatoes plus fresh basil. I used a hand immersion blender to blend up a bit of the soup but left it super chunky and yum yes! You could also use a regular blender for about a 1/3 of the recipe. The roasted tomatoes also break up with a wooden spoon very easily as well.
We complement this stand on its own and be a boss soup with grilled cheese. But I wasn’t about to give you another run of the mill grilled cheese - ah hell nah!! We kicked this shit up by using three cheeses + pesto. Because why not? Pesto kicks ass! One of the keys though to a grilled cheese is making things into spreads. For example, we make a butter/mayo/cheesy spread for the bread plus mix mayo and spices in with shredded cheese. This makes it easier to melt the cheese and create better flavors. I’ll go over this in detail in the recipe.
You’re left with a cheesy pesto-y frikin A+ sandwich that complements this tomato soup like tomato soup + grilled cheese. Genius!! But the grilled cheese will melt in your mouth and the soup will warm your heart. Its a glorious combination!
Let's get into it!
Tomato Basil Soup
3 lbs, tomatoes cut in half
6 garlic cloves, skins off
6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbl olive oil
3 tbl vegan butter
1/4 cup white wine
2 medium sweet onions (vidalia), chopped roughly
3 medium carrots, cut in half then diced
14oz canned organic diced plum tomatoes
Spices: 3 cups fresh basil, roughly chopped, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tbl fresh thyme leaves, 1/2 tsp pepper
Three Cheese Pesto Grilled Cheese
8 slices of sourdough bread
Butter Layer
3 tbl vegan butter
2 tbl vegan mayo
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbl dried basil (3 tbl fresh basil, chopped)
1/4 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded (I used So Delicious brand)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cheese Layer
2 tbl vegan mayo
1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup vegan gouda slices, diced into small cubes (I used Follow Your Heart)
2/3 cup vegan provolone slices, diced into small cubes (I used Follow Your Hear)
Pesto Layer
3 cups basil, packed
2 cups arugula
3 tbl olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup pecans raw (can sub with pepitas, seeds, or other nuts)
Other
fresh basil, optional
vegan cheese or sour cream for topping, optional
Equipment You'll Need:
Cutting Board . Medium Cutting Knife . Measuring Cups . Measuring Spoons . Mixing Bowls . Baking Sheet . Parchment Paper . Large Soup Pot . Wooden Mixing Spoons . Butter Knife . Spatula . Large Griddle or Frying Pan . Food Processor or Blender
Before You Cook:
Preheat oven to 400F
Chop + wash fresh ingredients
1. Chop roma tomatoes in half and add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix with hands roma tomatoes with garlic cloves, sprigs of thyme, olive oil, and sprinkle with salt + pepper.
3. Layer the tomatoes, cut side up, on parchment-lined baking sheet. Add to preheated oven at 400F and roast for 45 minutes. When done you’ll add to tomato soup.
4. While the tomatoes roast, we will prep the rest of the ingredients. Start by mixing together the butter mixture for the grilled cheese. Mix with a fork to better combine. Set aside.
5. Next, mix together the cheeses + mayo for the cheese layer. Set aside.
6. Next, add all the ingredients for the pesto to a food processor or blender and process/blend for 15 seconds. Scrape down sides and repeat. Set aside.
7. With 20 minutes left on the roast, add onions/butter/wine/carrots from soup ingredients to a large stock pot / soup pot. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Next, add the fresh basil, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook for 4-5 minutes then add in the tomatoes from the oven. Use a wooden spoon to break them down and simmer on medium low heat until the grilled cheese is done.
8. Spread the butter onto 1/2 the bread and put a pan on medium heat. Add the buttered bread to the pan. Butter side down and add 1/4 the cheese mixture to the buttered bread so it starts to melt.
9. With the rest of the bread, butter one side and carefully spread pesto to the other side. Then, place the pesto side onto the cheese mixture side so that the second buttered side is facing up.
10. Flip the bread at this point and continue to flip and cook on each side at 30 second intervals until browned on both sides and cheese is melted.
11. Using a hand immersion blender or scoooping out a couple cups of soup into a regular blender, blend the soup. I only blend about 1/3 of it because I like it chunky and textured.
12. Serve + enjoy!
