I decided yesterday that what I was terribly hungry for was tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. (And you thought I was a gourmet. Hah! Fooled you.) But I was not going to settle for the kind of tomato soup that comes in a red and white can. (Like I had any on hand to begin with!) What I really wanted was a hot and steaming bowl of homemade tomato basil soup. Because the combination of tomatoes and basil has got to be one of the best flavor combinations ever to tantalize my taste buds. So, I went in search of the perfect quick and easy recipe for this wonderful classic soup.

I found this great recipe on the natashaskitchen.com site. I made a couple of minor adjustments to Natasha’s recipe, but not enough to make a never mind.

So, if you too want a fast and easy recipe for an absolutely delicious tomato soup, this is the recipe for you. And in combination with a grilled cheese sammie, well, eatin’ just doesn’t get much better! (See my recipe for Grilled Cheese Sandwiches below.)

Well, it’s really hot again today here in northwestern Washington. So, we’re taking it easy and letting the air conditioning feature of our heat pump do all the hard work. I’m making a list of all the food I want to prepare or bring on our upcoming trailer trip. And Mr. C. as treasurer of our homeowner’s association is busy getting material ready to send out for our annual meeting. So, we are both being productive, just in a very low-key way.

I’m even letting Mr. C. take me out for Chinese food tonight. That’s how lazy I’m being today. But you know, I truly appreciate someone else doing the cooking for me occasionally. And letting someone else do the cleanup, that in our home falls in Mr. C’s bailiwick, thus providing him a respite from this semi unpleasant, but necessary task. So, a dinner out is a nice treat for both of us.

I hope you too are able to periodically take a mini vacation from your kitchen. Because as much as most home cooks enjoy creating wonderful food for our family and friends, we also need an occasional break to recharge our batteries. Cooking delicious and healthy meals is hard work. And I have always felt that hard work deserves to be rewarded. For me that means letting someone else wear an apron, stand in front of a hot stove, bring the food to our table, and then carry away all the mess left on our table while we are on our way out the door. In other words, cooking reward equals – go out to eat!  

Peace and love to all.

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 med. yellow onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes – preferably Italian (I use Cento brand crushed tomatoes available locally at our very own Stanwood QFC.)

1 c. water

2 tsp. chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base)

¼ c. chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

1½ tsp. granulated sugar

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper   

⅓ c. heavy cream, ½ & ½, or whole milk (depending on how rich you like your tomato soup)

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Heat the butter in a nonreactive pot or enameled Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onions. Sauté gently for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the crushed tomatoes, water, chicken base, chopped basil, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese; return to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve hot topped with additional fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. And of course, a hot grilled sandwich!

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

unsalted butter, room temperature

2 thick slices of whole grain bread

At least 3 slices of sharp cheddar, gouda, Havarti, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, Swiss, Manchego (or combination thereof)

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.

Heat a frying pan or griddle over low to medium/low heat. Place the slices of bread, butter side down, on the heated pan.

Stack the cheese on one of the pieces of bread, cover with the unbuttered side of the other piece of bread and grill the sandwich until the bottom side is golden brown. (This takes patience. But taking the time to do it right is worth the effort.)  

Carefully flip the sandwich. Allow to cook until the second side is also a deep golden brown and the cheese is melted. (If you need to flip the sandwich a couple of times to get the cheese soft and melty, no problem.)

Cut the sandwich in half on the diagonal and serve piping hot. Great with Tomato Basil Soup.  

For another fabulous grilled sandwich, see my recipe for Grilled Tuna Melt Sandwiches.