Sherried Tomato Basil Soup with Fontina and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

Sherried Tomato Basil Soup with Fontina and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese is a super umami-rich soup and sandwich combination that is delicious any time of the year.

I know, I know, it’s summer. Why would I be posting a soup recipe? I have my reasons. Have any of you had a summer cold?

Last week I came down with a horrendous, vicious summer cold that kicked my ASS; I haven’t been that sick in a very long time. It was a typical coughing all night, throat on fire, severe fatigue, head pounding, body aching, full-on snot fest.

When I say I was miserable – I’m NOT even kidding. The CDC needs to implement a vaccine for f’ing summer colds; the FSC Vaccine.

“Keep hydrated” everybody kept saying. Seriously? I couldn’t tolerate drinking a single thing.

I barely wanted to drink or eat, but I did crave this tomato soup. Not just any regular tomato soup, but I wanted sherried tomato basil soup.

Sometimes I have to be difficult.

So, on day #2 of this illness I made this for myself (my husband would have but he was working and I was hell bent that I was going to have this soup).

I made this soup a year or so before, didn’t write it down, and tried to recreate it to the best of my memory. Thankfully my memory decided to be awesome. I’m sure it felt sorry for me because I was sick.

This felt SO GOOD on my throat and tasted so good I ate it until I couldn’t breathe. I love most any tomato soup, especially tomato basil, but sherry puts it in a league of its own. How I love sherry.

Now, any good tomato soup fan knows that the soup alone doesn’t cut it.

No.

You have to have a top-notch grilled cheese to dip in it.

How To Make Sherried Tomato Basil Soup with Fontina and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

I like to use a combination of crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes to make the soup. Try to find the “petite diced” tomatoes, because the “diced” seem too large to me. If that’s all I can find, I usually strain them, put them on a chopping board and chop them down a bit so they’re the size I like. It shouldn’t be difficult at all to find good, fresh basil this time of year, but if you can’t get your hands on any just use dried.

A little dried basil never hurt anybody.

As far as the grilled cheese, I used a combination of Fontina and Mozzarella, because I want the maximum meltiness. And I found out that these two cheeses melt like they’re in competition with each other. 

Who knew.

See all that lusciousness?

The taste is off the charts.

It’s beautiful.

Continue to Content

Yield: 6 servings

Sherried Tomato Basil Soup with Fontina and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

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The best Tomato Basil Soup you'll ever make.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the Soup-

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 16 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 handful fresh basil, chopped or torn (or 2 tsp dried basil)
• 1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
• 1/2 cup whole cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Grilled Cheese-

• 12 slices bread
• 3 tbsp Salted butter, softened
• 6 slices Mozzarella cheese (whole milk)
• 6 slices Fontina cheese

Instructions

Soup

1. Heat the garlic, onion and olive oil over medium low heat and saute until fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add both cans of tomatoes, butter and Worcestershire sauce and increase heat to medium and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add basil and sherry, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add whole cream, stirring to thoroughly incorporate, cover and simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and serve.
   

Grilled Cheese

1. Slather two slices of white bread with softened butter on one side and add them butter side down to a frying pan or griddle over medium heat.
2. Immediately add equal amounts of both cheeses to cover the bottom slice of bread, top with another slice of bread with butter side up.
3. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, until slightly brown and cheese has melted.
4. Serve for dipping in your tomato soup!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 625Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 1320mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 6gSugar: 14gProtein: 23g

The provided nutrition calculated may not always be accurate.

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