Tomato Basil Soup

A quick, simple, and flavorful tomato soup with fresh basil, great with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Have you ever wondered how tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches got together?

I mean, they obviously complement one another, hence their immense popularity. But who had the great ‘light bulb’ idea? And yes, these are the types of questions I ask all the time; and Google always comes through.

So here’s the scoop: In 1915, a destitute Mr. James L. Kraft invented a highly successful process to manufacture pasteurized cheese solely to avoid spoilage. It quickly became a huge lifeline during the depression, allowing a family of four to eat a hot meal of macaroni and cheese for just 19 cents. The Army bought the shredded pasteurized cheese product in World War I and then the Navy bought a bunch during World War II. That’s when the grilled cheese sandwich really caught on.

During this time, cafeterias bought cans of tomato soup to serve with the grilled cheese sandwiches to satisfy Vitamin C and protein requirements. Then in 1949, individually wrapped slices of cheese were introduced that revolutionized the grilled cheese sandwich and the rest is history. (TripSavvy). Today, we like Violife cheddar slices to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

So, between the military veterans and their school-aged children, tomato soup and the grilled cheese sandwich quickly became a time-honored classic comfort food combination. I’m sure you were expecting something very different.

Do you find it interesting that it took one generation of school-aged children about a hundred years ago to revolutionize comfort food? I think it’s interesting that when those children grew up, they fed their kids tomato soup and grilled cheese; and they fed it to their kids… And now here I am, enjoying my tomato soup and grilled cheese – and I didn’t get school lunch. I mean, I did but it was in Tupperware or brown bag from home.

But that’s the gist of how tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches became a two-peas-in-a-pod kind of thing. I find it fascinating… and deliciously satisfying.

Do you crave tomato soup and grilled cheese?

I do. I typically crave that nostalgic childhood combination for lunch on a rainy Saturday or Sunday. It just makes a dreary rainy day so much better. And I used to order the combination at Panera Bread a lot. They have such delicious soups, sandwiches, and salads. But since their creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches both contain dairy, I have created a wholesome Tomato Basil Soup that takes less than ten minutes to prepare and satisfies all those nostalgic childhood comfort food cravings.

And my Tomato Basil Soup turns out to be a very healthy and delicious alternative. The brand of crushed tomatoes I use contains 140 mg of sodium for one quarter cup. Compared to the 500 mg for one cup of Panera’s creamy tomato soup, one cup of my Tomato Basil Soup recipe contains less than 200 mg and is dairy free. Granted, you can also purchase crushed tomatoes with no added salt if you are avoiding sodium and need to keep it at a minimum.

I like using crushed tomatoes since it contains little bits of tomato that aren’t too big. It keeps things super simple. But if you only have stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes, that works, too. You just need to pulse them in a food processor, blend on low for a short time in a blender, or use an immersion blender until you get it to the desired consistency. Also, if you prefer your soup completely smooth without little bits of tomato, just blend in the food processor, blender or immersion blender until smooth. Then stir in the spices and chopped basil.

I love that this Tomato Basil Soup is one hundred percent natural wholesome ingredients and one hundred percent delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  Please leave a comment, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   I’m just starting out and would love to see your results.  Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes*
• 1 ½ -2 cups (12 ounces) plant milk
• 2 tsp agave or maple syrup
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp Herbes de Provence
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes**
• Salt to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. On low to medium heat, stir all of the ingredients together in a large saucepan or small pot. If you like more tomato flavor, stick with 1 ½ cups milk. If you like it more creamy, use 2 cups of milk.
2. Stir until well combined and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is thick.  Add milk if desired and adjust seasonings to taste.
3. Serve with grilled cheese sandwich or salad.

Notes

* If using diced or stewed tomatoes, you may want to use an immersion blender to blend until the desired consistency is reached.

** This is a mild soup; but feel free to reduce or omit the crushed red pepper flakes if you don’t like a little spice.

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