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Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Name: Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: unsalted butter — 27 g; yellow onion — 110 g; garlic — 9 g; tomatoes — 1588 g; vegetable broth — 237 g; granulated sugar — 4 g; salt — 5 g; black pepper — 3 g; heavy cream — 118 g; basil — 30 g; white sandwich bread — 224 g; unsalted butter — 54 g; sharp white cheddar — 227 g

Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons reads richness 6.3, umami 4.8 and salinity 4.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.5 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.1 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.4 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.6 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.3 · Umami 4.8 · Salinity 4.6 · Sweetness 4.5 · Allium 4.3 · Herbaceous 3.8 · Sourness 2.0 · Fruity 1.9 · Floral 1.8 · Earthy 1.7 · Funk & Ferment 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Citrus 1.3 · Bitterness 1.3 · Nutty 1.3 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (13)

unsalted butter — 27 g
yellow onion — 110 g
garlic — 9 g
tomatoes — 1588 g
vegetable broth — 237 g
granulated sugar — 4 g
salt — 5 g
black pepper — 3 g
heavy cream — 118 g
basil — 30 g
white sandwich bread — 224 g
unsalted butter — 54 g
sharp white cheddar — 227 g

Time & effort: about 40 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 59 kcal, 1.7 g protein, 4.7 g fat, 8.3 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon, then stir in the broth, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the soup smells sweet and rounded, 20-25 minutes.
While the soup simmers, butter one side of each bread slice using the softened butter.
Divide the cheddar evenly among 4 of the bread slices, buttered side down, and top each with a second slice, buttered side up, to make 4 sandwiches.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the sandwiches, pressing gently with a spatula, until deeply golden on the first side, 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is golden and the cheese is fully melted, 3-4 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board.
Puree the soup directly in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth (or blend in batches in a stand blender and return to the pot).
Stir the cream and basil into the soup and simmer over low heat until just heated through, 2-3 minutes; taste and add more salt if needed.
Cut the grilled cheese sandwiches into 1-inch cubes.
Ladle the soup into bowls, scatter the grilled cheese croutons on top, and finish with a few small basil leaves.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers — Italian-American
One-Pot Chicken and Dumplings — American
Pasta Primavera with Spring Vegetables — Italian-American
Skillet Chicken Cacciatore — Italian-American
Chicken Cacciatore — Italian-American

Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.