Rachael Ray used to one of my favorites growing up to watch on TV with my dad. We would watch her cooking segments all the time because I admire how detailed and creative she was with her recipes. Her recipes were always so simple, yet impressive. Her grilled cheese and tomato soup recipe tutorial on YouTube is easy to follow along and I love all of her commentaries in between. Also, she would always explain thoroughly how the flavors and ingredients mesh together.
Ingredients:
For the soup:
- 2 quarts cherry tomatoes, stemmed
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 bulb garlic, cloves crushed and peeled
- About 3 tablespoons thyme, picked
- About 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Salt and pepper
- 1-quart chicken or vegetable stock
- A small handful of torn basil
- ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream or crème Fraiche, optional
For the sandwiches:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ cup honey
- 1 round tablespoon Calabrian chili paste or harissa
- 8 slices good-quality white bread
- ¾ pound sliced cheese, such as Provo/provolone, mozzarella, or fontina
Directions:
First, watch Rachael Ray’s Italian Hot Honey Grilled Cheese and Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup Recipe on YouTube to prepare the soup and sandwich.
Next, once the roasted tomatoes are done in the oven, add the tomatoes and a small handful of torn basil in the stockpot. Then, puree with an immersion blender. Reduce heat to low and add heavy cream to taste if using.
Overall, this recipe seems to have a lot of flavors, and I love how this is not a typical basic recipe. I would love to make this recipe once the Fall season comes closer to time. I’ve been looking for a tomato soup recipe for quite some time now, but Rachael’s recipe seems very fresh.
