Easy Homemade Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Topper: This tomato soup is easily made but full of flavor, finished off with a giant cheese crouton, because everything is better with cheese.
I absolutely love the fall for so many reasons–pumpkin, apples, football, crisp air, jeans, and comfort foods.
To me comfort foods are warm and rich and take me right back to my Papa’s house on a Sunday afternoon while the Cleveland Browns played in the background–like his homemade Pot Roast or his famous from scratch-chicken pot pie.
If you are a Browns fan, you know we live for the food, not the game!
My papa was also known for delicious from scrath soup recipes–like Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup.
And to this day, when the weather gets colder I crave a giant bowl of homemade soup.
Easy Homemade Tomato Soup
We are not talking about canned soup here. We are talking about rich, creamy soup that will leave your taste buds satisfied.
I create a flavorful base of onions and garlic and oregano. I keep my easy tomato soup simple by adding by canned tomatoes—meaning you can make this soup all winter long without garden fresh tomatoes.
And what is a tomato soup without a grilled cheese sandwich?
My family would call that insanity!
There is nothing better than dunking a toasted piece of bread smothered with cheese into a warm bowl of tomato soup so thick that it clings to the sandwich.
But, let’s get creative here.
Isn’t the best part of that soup dipping your soup into a crispy crust of cheese and thick bread?
Well, for me it is!
So how about topping this soup with a thick slice of homemade bread that has been toasted and then smothered in cheese?
YOU WILL NEVER EAT ANOTHER CAN OF TOMATO SOUP AGAIN!
Tips on Quick and Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Crouton
- Be sure to toast your oregano per the recipe directions–this allows the oregano to release it’s oil into the soup.
- The higher quality the canned tomatoes, the less amount of time the soup has to cook down. If you use San Marzano tomatoes, you can cut the cooking time down to 30 minutes and still have fabulous results.
- To make these Grilled Cheese Croutons Gluten-Free, use your favorite Gluten Free Bread.
- You can make this Slow Cooker Tomato Soup, by sauteeing the onions, garlic and oregano and then adding that to your slow cooker along with the stock and canned tomatoes. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- You can also make this Instant Pot Tomato Soup, by turning your instant pot to saute function and cooking the onions, garlic and oregano for 2-3 minutes, add in the stock and tomatoes and set to sealed and high pressure for 20 minutes.
- I puree this soup, using an immersion blender. This is not necessary, but smooth soups are prefered in my household.
- I like to cut my bread to fit the soup bowls and then toast it in the oven to melt the cheese and toast the bread. I top my tomato soup right before serving to keep my giant grilled cheese crouton from getting soggy. This keeps the bowl from getting too hot to handle (and little hands safe) if you were to top the soup and then broil.
- Do NOT throw away your excess bread–freeze bread scraps to use for homemade stuffing or Meatloaf.
If you are craving tomato soup with meat this Sausage and Roasted Roasted Tomato Soup is a great option. Or if you are what to jazz up as my son calls it “Plain Red Tomato Soup” try this Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup.
Homemade Tomato Soup (Cheesy Crouton Optional)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic crushed
- 4 cups homemade chicken stock or your favorite store bought stock
- 2 15 oz can or cartons of diced tomatoes in juice unsalted
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 6 slices thick bread I used my homemade whole wheat bread recipe
- 6-8 oz shredded colby jack cheese
Instructions
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Heat oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and saute for 5 minutes or until onions begin to become translucent. Add the crushed garlic and oregano salt and pepper and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
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Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow to simmer for 3-4 hours (30 minutes is sufficient but the flavor that is developed from longer simmering is amazing!!)
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Puree the soup in batches in a blender.
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Toast each slice of bread.
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Heat the broiler to high on your oven.
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Ladle the soup in 6 oven proof bowls. Top the soup with the toasted bread and smoother in cheese. Broil until cheese melts about 5 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition values are based on soup without grilled cheese crouton.
More Easy Soup Recipes
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This looks amazing – always looking for a great tomato soup recipe!
Well like I said, this one is lick the bowl clean!! Enjoy
Love this soup idea and the crouton of course!!
The soup is great, but the crouton makes it out of this world.
Ooh this sounds like heaven! I’ve never tried making tomato soup and boy when I do.. I will def. not be skipping the cheesy crouton. Looks fantastic, thanks bunches for such a delicious recipe!
Well Dawn, this is a perfect recipe to start making homemade tomato soup with–so easy and so good! Enjoy!!
YUM! perfect for fall!!!
Thanks for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party! Your post has been pinned to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board 🙂
Homemade tomato soup always makes me think of Halloween when I always had dinner with my friend’s family before going trick or treating. It was always tomato soup and grilled cheese 🙂
I agree everything is better with a giant cheese crouton on top! I love soup this time of year. Thanks so much for linking it up with us at Foodie Fridays! 🙂 See you again this week!
This sounds soooo good right now on this chilly day! I’ve never made tomato soup from scratch before. Pinning to try!
-Michelle @ The Gracious Wife
This recipe is super easy and will warm you to your core.
Hi Kristen,
I too love a warm, nourishing bowl of homemade soup–especially in the Fall so I was delighted that you shared this healthy and delicious recipe for Tomato Soup with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I appreciate it!
Thanks Deborah! Nothing like a great bowl of soup to warm you up–especially when you know it is healthy!
This looks scrumptious. If I called it Pizza Soup (a la the Ninja Turtles) my son would LOVE it. Sometimes it takes a little selling creative marketing to get him to try new foods.
Thanks for sharing on Tasty Tuesdays.
Oh I love that!! And it does look like a cheese pizza sitting on top of the soup. Creative marketing is what can sell mt hubbie at times as well. He is a giant child. Lol.
This is my kind of dinner! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wedesday!
You bet! Easy, cheesy, and healthy–what is NOT to love?
This looks fabulous! Pinned. We couldn’t think of anyone better to party with! Thank you for stopping by. I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm. http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/
Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
Well I love partying with you all as well 🙂
This is a great bowl of soup that we will just love. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and have a fabulous day!
Hope to see you soon,
Miz Helen
Thank you for always visiting and commenting. You are such an encouragement!
Sounds delish especially on a cold winter’s day! So easy too. Thanks for the recipe
My husband’s great grandmother had a homemade tomato soup that was so time consuming but so wonderful… yours sounds just as good but so much easier! I am going to give it a try!
Terri, I hope you enjoy this! It is so easy and very satisfying.
We have had so much rain. Wish I could send it your way. Guess I shouldn’t complain, it is better than snow. No matter what the weather, I would love this soup.
Kristen,
My daughter comes home for lunch most days, and her favorite lunch is tomato soup with grilled cheese. I’ve nailed my soup–I use tomatoes from the garden/farm share that we put up every August/September, but I’ve never tried a giant cheese crouton.
That looks insanely good.
Thanks!
Your soup sounds amazing!! The crouton will take it way over the top!
Tomato soup is the best and that cheese crouton is the perfect addition!
Thanks Joanie!
I always dip my grilled cheese in my tomato soup. It’s just such a comfort food! The fact that you had the cheesy crouton on top? Well that just makes it even bette!
It is sort of like french onion soup! So good.