The bounty of summer tomatoes is upon us and what better way to celebrate than to make a big pot of fresh, delicious tomato soup!

We still somehow have so many tomatoes and and herbs growing in the garden, even here in Florida. So I’m taking full advantage and using them in all my dishes. For today’s lunch, I made this creamy, vegetarian, dairy-free soup that is so deliciously dynamite! In it, you’ll find two different kinds of tomatoes, a big red bell pepper to offset some of the sharpness of the tomatoes, garlic and onion (a must for any soup), fresh basil and beans at the end for the creaminess. No milk or cream in this recipe! The beans do the heavy lifting here. Add a drizzle of oil and top with basil at the end and you have quite possibly the best soup you’ll ever eat!

Now, you can definitely eat this soup by itself. But I think it pairs perfectly with a hot and crusty grilled cheese sandwich. Buttered toast with melted cheese – mmmm! Scrumptious! You can cut this sandwich in half and eat it alongside the soup, or even into croutons to top the soup with. However you eat it, you’re going to love it!

What’s your favorite summertime dish to make with fresh summer ingredients? Let me know in the comments below! Happy cooking!

Homemade Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwich

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 50 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

• 4 very large beefsteak tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 large red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 1 large head of garlic, sliced in half
• 3 sprigs large basil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (12oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 loaf of bread, sliced thick
• 2-3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large dutch oven, add beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic and basil. Drizzle olive oil over tomato mixture and toss gently. Season generously with salt and pepper and roast for 40 minutes.
3. Remove dutch oven and add beans. Using an immersion blender or blender, combine mixture until fully blended. Taste and season again as needed. Set aside.

   

   

   

4. Right before serving, make grilled cheese – lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Fry in a large frying pan over medium heat for 20 seconds. Top with cheese and another slice of bread. Once bottom slice of bread is golden, flip and toast until other slice is golden. Remove from heat and slice.

   

   

5. Serve sandwich with soup and enjoy!

Note: Recipe can also be made with different types of tomatoes! I love it with an heirloom tomato base instead of beefsteak as well!