Slow Cooker Tomato Soup & Grilled Gruyere Cheese Sandwiches

THURSDAY

Slow Cooker Tomato Soup  |  Grilled Gruyère Cheese Sandwiches

 

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This morning we woke to the sound of rain beating down against the windows.  I opened the bedroom shutters to find a blanket of fog covering our little corner of the world, hiding the ships entering and leaving the Bay, the dull drone of their fog horns the only evidence of their presence on the water beyond my window.

As I fixed breakfast for the children {scrambled eggs with some of the fresh herbs left-over from last evening’s dinner} I began thinking about this evening’s dinner.  We were supposed to be trying a new recipe from Food52 ~ Leek, Pancetta & Gruyère Bread Pudding ~ but what I really wanted on this rainy day was tomato soup & grilled cheese.  We hadn’t even left the house yet and I was envisioning us all home enjoying melted cheese oozing from perfectly toasted, buttery bread served alongside a mug of smooth, savory tomato soup.  The Leek, Pancetta & Gruyère Bread Pudding will be saved for another time.

Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month?  Neither did I, but Woman’s Day says it is so and offers up their picks for the 10 Greatest Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  For more cheesy inspiration, head on over to The Huffington Post and check out their review…Grilled Cheese Recipes:  25 Mouthwatering Sandwiches and then check out Serious Eats:  New York City for 17 Great Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in NYC.

The tomato soup is a classic…butter, onions, tarragon & Vermouth.  It takes 15 minutes to assemble and the slow cooker does the rest of the work for the next 6 hours…

Winter Tomato Soup {adapted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger & Julie Kaufmann}  Serves 8-10…

  • 1 cup {2 sticks} unsalted butter
  • 2 large yellow onions, chopped
  • 2, 28-ounce cans imported Italian whole, peeled tomatoes, with their juice
  • 1 cup dry Vermouth
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
  • kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onion and cook until the onion just begins to soften, about 10 minutes, stirring often to ensure even cooking.
  2. Combine the tomatoes, Vermouth, sugar and tarragon in the slow cooker; add the onion & butter mixture, scraping out the skillet.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
  3. Purée the soup with a handheld immersion blender.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.  Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve.

Soup Ingredients

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As for the grilled cheese, select the highest quality ingredients for this simple sandwich…

  • cheese {I use a mix of ¾ grated Gruyère and  ¼ Fontina}
  • bread {a fresh, Sweet French Batard, a Rosemary-Olive oil Round, or a soft Brioche…tonight I used a warm, fresh Challah for it’s softness…Mallory’s mouth is still a bit sore from surgery yesterday}
  • butter {an Irish butter, such as Kerrygold or a Grade AA unsalted butter}

Assemble the sandwiches, piling as much cheese as your heart desires in between 2 slices of bread.  Butter the outside bread slices and grill the sandwiches {over medium-low heat} in a hot skillet until golden brown and the cheese has melted.  Serve immediately with a side of tomato soup.

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Tonight’s dinner was pure comfort food, perfect for a rainy day…

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