Broiled and Burnt Roasted Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese Crostini
Few things scream comfort more than grilled cheese and tomato soup, and chef-author and “The Bear” star Matty Matheson knows this. It’s why in his cookbook “Soups, Salads, Sandwiches” he’s serving up a dose of both, combined.
This recipe, slightly adapted here for thickness, provides a just-charred, roasted edge to the classic tomato soup due to broiling a heaping pile of vegetables together. They broil, they slightly burn, they simmer — by the time they’re puréed and ladled into your bowl, these veggies have developed a potent, rich flavor. Use the garlic-rubbed crostini oozing with cheese to spoon up bites of the soup, or let them float in the mélange to absorb all the liquid.
“Nothing beats grilled cheese, and nothing beats tomato soup from a can,” Matheson writes. “It just makes you feel like everything will be OK in that moment. If you want to step it up, well now, just look at this f—ing thing. Stare at the cheese crostini. Stare at the roasted tomato soup. You can smell it, which is kinda the best, then taste it, and then you have risen into the heavens. You can look down at all the losers still just eating canned soup (even though it’s delicious) like, ‘Come on! Figure it out.’”
Matty Matheson's broiled and burnt roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese crostini
For the soup: Preheat the oven to broil on low. On a baking sheet, toss together the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, garlic, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Broil for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. “Be careful not to burn everything, but you’ll want a nice char on the veggies,” Matheson says. “Leave that broiler on and crank it up to high!”
Transfer the charred veggies to a large Dutch oven or a stock pot. Add the tomato puree and 4 to 6 cups vegetable stock, depending on preferred thickness. Bring the mixture up to a rolling boil, then cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
For the crostini: Toast your slices of bread, then rub each slice with the garlic clove so that the garlic melts onto the warm bread’s surface. Add a handful of mozzarella and sharp cheddar on each slice. Place the crostini on a baking sheet and broil roughly 2 to 3 minutes. “Watch these; please do not burn them!” Matcheson says. “We need these melty but not browned.”
Once the soup has simmered, purée the entire soup mixture in the pot using an immersion blender, or transfer to a stand blender or food processor. Serve with as many grilled cheese crostini as you can stack.
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