It has been so cold here this past week, and it looks like it will continue for awhile. The best thing for a cold day? Surely it’s grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Right? I tried a new recipe over the holidays and wanted to share it with you. The Greek yogurt adds a wonderfully healthy creaminess to the soup. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as mine did.
Tomato, Basil and Cheese Soup
(found on Pinterest, originally from the More Fruit Please blog.)
2 (28 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped, loosely packed
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Add olive oil to a large pot. Over medium heat, add the chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes (until tender). Add in the chopped garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Pour in the cans of tomatoes (juice and all) and the vegetable stock. Stir in the basil, sugar, salt, pepper and oregano. Let this simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on.
After 10 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the greek yogurt and cheese, mixing until blended. Use an immersion blender (these things are the best – I use it to slightly thicken all of my homemade soups) or food processor to puree the soup. Garnish with additional chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired.
As for the grilled cheese sandwiches, I think the best ones come from Mimi’s Cafe. I found a copycat recipe (which I shared here) that comes pretty close to those. But we generally simplify things for regular grilled cheese eating. (Like not using that many different kinds of cheese.) I like sourdough bread for our grilled cheese, and I always butter the outside of the bread and lay that butter side down into a pile of grated parmesan so that it forms a wonderful cheesy crust on the outside of the sandwich as it grills. YUM.
Have a great weekend and be sure to check the blog next week, as we have new things to share with you, including the First Quarter Challenge for 2013!
Sheri hopingformoresnow,aslongasit’sgoingtobecoldanyway