Roasted Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

⬆️ Watch the video here ⬆️

Roasted Tomato Soup:

• 10-12 roma tomatoes

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 yellow onion

• 1 large carrot

• 4 stalks celery

• 6-8 cloves garlic

• 1 cup fresh basil

• few stems of oregano (leaves only)

• 8 cups water

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 2 tbsp vegetable bouillon

• olive oil

• kosher salt

• pepper

sandwich bread:

• 400g bread flour

• 200g wheat flour

• 300ml milk (lukewarm)

• 75ml water

• 80g butter

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tbsp yeast

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp butter (for greasing the pan)

Tangzhong:

• 2 1/2 tbsp water

• 2 1/2 tbsp milk

• 2 tbsp flour

cheese toast:

• cheddar cheese

• butter

Soup Preparation:

• Slice the tomatoes in half, removing the seeds.

• Next quarter the bell pepper, onion, carrot, and celery. Crush the cloves of garlic, remove the skin and leave whole.

• Place the vegetables on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake @ 450° for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to blister and turn slightly black.

• Add the water and vegetable bouillon to a large pot (you can substitute for broth if you do not have bouillon). Add the oregano and roasted vegetables, then puree the mixture using an immersion blender (you can also use a regular blender for this if you do not have an immersion blender).

• Add 1 cup chopped basil. Salt and pepper to taste.

• Cook on medium low for about an hour to allow the ingredients to marry.

• Reduce the heat to low, add the cream. Cook for another 15 minutes.

• The soup is complete. Now for the grilled cheese.

bread preparation:

• Prepare the tangzhong by adding 2 1/2 tbsp milk and 2 1/2 tbsp water to a sauce pan on medium heat. Add the flour while whisking, whisk for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

• Next add the flour, salt, yeast, and sugar to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the milk and water, knead the mixture either by hand or with a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes. Add the egg yolk, continue kneading.

• Once the dough starts coming together, add the butter 1 tbsp at a time. Continue mixing until incorporated. Once all of the butter has been added, add the tangzhong mixture to the dough. Continue kneading until the dough has become soft and smooth, about 10 minutes.

• Cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to same width as your loaf pan (I used a 1 1/2 lbs loaf pan). Next roll the dough into a tight tube, and then place it into a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise at room temperature for another 45 minutes to an hour, or until the loaf has doubled in size.

• Bake @ 350° for 45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown.

• To make the grilled cheese, slice two pieces of bread from the loaf. Add 1 tbsp butter to a skillet on medium. Place a piece of bread into the skillet, top with shredded cheddar cheese, then place the second piece of bread atop. Press down firmly using a spatula or other similar tool. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add another tablespoon butter and flip the sandwich to the opposite side. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.

• Submerging the bread into the soup creates a blissful experience. However, if you’re like that’s gross…serve how it best suites you.

• And finally…enjoy.