Vegan Tomato Soup with Herbed Aioli Grilled Cheese
My Vegan Tomato Soup with Herbed Aioli Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is a delicious spin on this classic comfort food combo!
Servings: 6
Print RecipeIngredients
For the onion:
- ½ red onion, chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil plus 1 tsp
For the tomatoes:
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
Everything else:
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup milk, (I prefer to use Unsweetend Almond Milk)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp tomato paste
For the sandwiches
- Cheddar, vegan or dairy (be sure to freshly grate the cheese if using dairy; and I reccomend Miyoko's Cultured Vegan Cheddar Shreds if you're keeping these sandwiches vegan)
- 1 loaf good bread, sliced (use gluten-free bread to make these sandwiches gluten free)
- Olive oil, for frying
For the herbed aioli
- ½ cup Vegenaise or Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, minced
- ⅛ pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Cook the onion
- Add the onion, salt, and 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Now add the garlic and the remaining 1 tsp olive oil. Turn the heat down to medium low, and cook for an additional 7 minutes. Turn the heat down to low if the pan gets dry.
Add the tomatoes and seasonings
- Add the diced tomatoes, ½ tsp sea salt, ¼ pepper, and ½ tsp Italian seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Turn the heat up to medium, and cook for five minutes. Now add the parsley, and continue cooking over medium heat until the pot comes to a boil, about 1-2 more minutes.
- Once the soup reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.
Process the soup
- Take the soup off the heat, and very carefully pour it into your food processor or blending device. Depending on the size of your machine, you may need to do this step in batches.
- Now process the soup until smooth.
- Once smooth, return the soup to the soup pot.
Add the vegetable broth and milk
- Add the milk, vegetable broth, brown sugar, and tomato paste to the soup. Stir to combine, then cook the soup over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
- Let the soup boil for one minute, then turn off the heat and taste. Add more salt or pepper to preference, and serve, or make aioli grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the soup.
Make the herbed aioli
- For the aioli, simply whisk everything together in a small bowl. Taste, and add more salt or lemon juice to taste. Aioli is done!
Compile the grilled cheese
- Take a slice of bread, and spread the aioli on according to preference. Top the aioli with freshly grated cheddar or your favorite vegan cheddar (you can't go wrong with Miyoko's Cultured Vegan Cheddar Shreds), also according to preference.
- Top with another slice of bread. (You could put more aioli on this second slice of bread if desired. I usually do!)
- Repeat with as many sandwiches as you wish to make.
Fry the sandwiches
- In a clean skillet, add a few Tbsp of olive oil, and turn the heat up to medium. Let the oil get hot, about 1 minute.
- Now add the sandwiches, however many your skillet will allow. Don’t overcrowd the pan!
- Fry the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes, until the side facing the pan is golden brown.
Flip the sandwiches
- Now flip the sandwiches over with your spatula, and fry this side until it also turns golden brown, about another 3 minutes.
- Remove the sandwiches from the pan, and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Repeat this process with as many sandwiches are you want to make.
Serve and enjoy!
- Serve these herbed aioli grilled cheese sandwiches with my tomato soup for a comforting meal any day of the week!
Notes
This soup makes great leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. This soup is vegan, and the sandwiches are vegan if you use vegan cheddar. (I prefer Miyoko's Cultured Vegan Cheddar Shreds.) This soup is gluten-free, and the sandwiches are gluten-free if you use gluten-free bread.