Is there a more classic combination than tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches?
In my book, it doesn’t get much more classic than that! And my Vegan Tomato Soup with Aioli Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is my favorite spin on this classic comfort food combo. 😋
My Favorite Tomato Soup
My vegan tomato soup recipe is pretty classic.
I think the best tomato soup is the kind where nothing gets in the way of that tomato taste. I like my tomato soup rich, smooth, and full of tomato flavor with some simple herbs complementing, but definitely not overpowering, the tomato.
My Secret Ingredient For Amazing Tomato Soup
My secret ingredient to amazing tomato soup is San Marzano Double Concentrated Tomato Paste. You can find it here on Amazon [aff. link]. San Marzano tomato paste really enhances the tomato flavor in this soup.
Besides the rich flavor of this tomato paste, I absolutely love that it comes in a tube—no more wasting ¾ of a can of tomato paste, or wondering how you’ll store all that left over tomato paste without turning your storage container bright red.
!!!!!!!!!
Has that happened to anyone else??!
Whoever invented tubed tomato paste was seriously a genius.
Feel free to use whatever tomato paste you have on hand, but I highly recommend getting a tube of San Marzano Tomato Paste [aff. link] next time you stock up!
Make it a Meal
My favorite thing to pair with this vegan tomato soup is my herbed aioli grilled cheese sandwiches.
You may remember this herbed aioli from my Brown Rice Veggie Burgers recipe. My herbed aioli is the perfect complement to grilled cheese sandwiches as well! And these simple sandwiches are so incredibly good, you won’t believe that 3 ingredients–aioli, cheese, and bread–create such a layered flavor profile.
The Cheese!
You can use vegan cheddar in these sandwiches to keep this meal vegan. (My favorite vegan cheddar is Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Cheddar Shreds.)
But if you use dairy cheese, be sure you freshly grate the cheese yourself. I promise it makes a WORLD of difference. You won’t believe how much better freshly grated cheddar melts.
Enjoy!
Enjoy my Vegan Tomato Soup and Herbed Aioli Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for a quick, healthy, and delicious meal this week. I’m sure it will become the requested meal in your home that it is at mine! ♥️
Vegan Tomato Soup with Herbed Aioli Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
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!
This Post Has 10 Comments
I love a good tomato soup and this looks like the perfect cosy winter meal! Happy New Year, Shannon and Mimi!
Awww thanks so much Katerina! Happy New Year to you and your sweet family! ❤️
I’m not so much of a tomato soup fan, but I have to say that I’m a big fan of this grilled cheese!
Thanks so much Jeff!!! It’s definitely my favorite sandwich these days! It’s hard to go wrong with grilled cheese, isn’t it? 😋
Ah, you just can’t beat a good bowl of tomato soup when the weather outside is rubbish. Your tomato soup looks amazing. And the accompanying herbed aioli grilled cheese sandwiches are just the ticket. I hope you had an amazing Christmas Shannon. And here’s to an equally amazing 2020 too!
Thanks so much Neal, I completely agree! Nothing beats tomato soup on a cold winter day! Hope you and your family had a fabulous Christmas, and that your New Year is off to a great start!
Holy cow, that herbed aioli just blew my mind! I love a good grilled cheese sandwich (especially when it’s made on rustic bread like you have here), and the thought of adding that aioli in there just made my mouth start watering…and it’s only 7:30am here! Talk about the perfect combination with tomato soup and an epic grilled cheese sammich!
Thanks David! I relate haha, put aioli on almost anything, and I will have a hard time restraining myself from seconds!!
You had me at herbedf aioli! I’m not always a tomato soup fan, but with something this nice to dunk into it, I’m sure I could be into it!
Thanks Jeff! Oh yes, the aioli is one of my favorite parts of this meal!