Tomato soup and grilled cheese on sourdough bread are an American classic. Tomato soup is surprisingly high in vitamins and minerals. When selecting tomatoes for your soup, choose brightly colored, fresh ripe tomatoes.
Fresh tomatoes are always better than canned tomatoes. For this soup, we selected an assortment of organic heirlooms and cherry tomatoes. Tomatoes that are rich in color tend to be more flavorful and less mealy. In addition to the tomatoes, you can add an assortment of fresh garlic, herbs, and even peppers.
Roasting tomatoes for fresh tomato soup has never been easier with a Z Grills 700D4E pellet Smoker. Slow-roasted tomato soup is as simple as filling a Dutch oven with tomatoes and herbs, then stepping aside and letting your smoker do all the work.
How to Make Homemade Tomato Soup
Step 1: Preheat the Z Grills smoker to 350℉
while you fill an oven-safe pot with tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt to the top of the tomatoes, then place your oven-safe poton the smoker.
The full recipe with amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Dicing the veggies is unnecessary because we will use a hand immersion blender (or a traditional countertop blender) to create our soup base.
Step 2: Roast the tomatoes
Roast the tomatoes on your smoker for two and a half hours at 350 ℉ until the tomatoes are soft and blistered and the garlic is golden brown and soft.
At the two-hour mark, take a cup of cream out of the fridge and allow the cream to warm to room temperature.
When the garlic is soft and golden, use a hand mixer (immersion blender) to puree your tomatoes into a soup.
Step 3: Simmer! (Never boil)
Add the room temperature cream to your soup and allow your soup to simmer on the smoker while you prepare your grilled cheese sandwiches. Keep an eye on the soup. The soup should simmer, but never boil! If your soup boils after the cream is added the cream could become curdled. Taste your soup and add salt and pepper as needed. To Prevent boiling, remove the soup from the smoker and allow the soup to sit while you melt the cheese for your grilled cheese sandwiches.
Make the grilled cheese sandwiches
Step 1: Start by buttering sourdough bread and placing the bread buttered side down on a flat cast iron griddle.
Step 2: Top the bread with shredded cheddar cheese and allow the cheese to melt. When the cheese is melted, remove the bread from the grill and finalize the sandwiches.
Step 3: Garnish the soup with a drizzle of pesto and freshly sliced avocado (optional). Serve the soup and sandwiches while everything is piping hot, and enjoy!
What to Serve with Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
If you are looking for dishes to accompany your tomato soup and grilled cheese, check out these ideas for awesome side dishes from our recipe center. Here are some side ideas that you can try:
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Equipment
- Z Grills 700D4E Wood Pellet Grill
- Z Grills Cherry Wood Pellets
Ingredients
- 12 large Tomatoes
- 2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Pepper
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the Z Grills smoker to 350℉.
- Place the tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs in an oven-safe pot. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt to the top of the tomatoes, then place the pot on the smoker.
- Once the garlic is soft and golden, use a hand mixer to puree your tomatoes into a soup.
- Add the room temperature cream to your soup and allow your soup to simmer on the smoker. The whole cooking process takes about 2.5 hours.
- While the sou rests, make the grilled cheese sandwiches. Butter the sourdough bread and place the bread buttered-side down on a flat cast iron griddle alongside the soup.
- Top the bread with shredded cheddar cheese and allow the cheese to melt. When the cheese is melted, remove the bread from the grill and finalize the sandwiches.
- Garnish the soup with a drizzle of pesto and freshly sliced avocado (optional).
- Serve hot and enjoy!