
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
Serves 4
Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup heavy cream
Fresh chopped basil
Sandwich (one sandwich)
2 slices sourdough bread (or your favorite)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 thin slices (1 ounce each) cheddar, havarti, Gouda and Gruyère cheeses (or your favorites)
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and celery and sauté until onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Stir in stock, tomatoes, sugar, basil, thyme and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover pot and simmer until tomatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Pour tomato mixture into a blender about half full, cover and puree until smooth. Repeat with another batch until all the mixture is pureed, then return to pot. Stir in cream and cook over medium heat until hot, 5–10 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and serve.
Spread each side of the bread slices with butter. Add cheeses to one slice and cover with the second slice of bread. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add sandwich and cook until golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly. Cut in half and serve immediately.