Quick Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese

By Eric Kim

Updated December 29, 2025

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
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Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(2,934)
Comments
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When done well, this age-old combination can be exactly what you want. Here, the cooking is as easy as the eating: While you get the soup started in a pot with a can of tomatoes and little more than onion and butter (in the style of Marcella Hazan’s famous tomato sauce), you assemble and pan-fry the sandwiches. The particular joy of these lies in their soft, quiet flavors: A thin layer of mayonnaise spread on the inside of the bread heats with the mozzarella, a mild cheese that lets you taste the bread and butter as they are. With a filling this rich and gooey, you want a delicate sweet enriched loaf like brioche or milk bread.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE TOMATO SOUP

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

  • ¾ cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed

  • 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • Salt and black pepper

FOR THE GRILLED CHEESE

  • Mayonnaise

  • 8 slices brioche or milk bread, crusts removed

  • 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella (4 ounces)

  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

41 grams carbs; 68 milligrams cholesterol; 452 calories; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 904 milligrams sodium; 15 grams protein; 11 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the soup: Dump the canned tomatoes and their juices into a medium pot and, using your hands, tear into coarse chunks. Swish the broth in the empty tomato can and add to the pot.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the onion, butter, oregano and sugar, and season generously with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and the tomatoes have broken down, 15 to 20 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, make the sandwiches: Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of each of the bread slices. Evenly sprinkle four of the slices with cheese and a little oregano. Top with the cheeseless slices, mayonnaise-side down.

  4. Step 4

    Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden brown on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan, then flip the sandwiches with a spatula, move them around to coat with the butter and cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat to lowest setting to keep sandwiches warm.

  5. Step 5

    Carefully purée the tomato soup using a blender until smooth and creamy, adding more broth if needed to loosen to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the grilled cheeses to a cutting board and cut each in half diagonally. Serve alongside the soup.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,934 user ratings
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Comments

Irina

I always sauté onions first when Making soup. Only takes a few Minutes and you get richer flavor.

Zazie Beets

But WHY would you cut the crusts off? That's the best part of grilled cheese this is madness

Daniella

I use mustard instead of mayonnaise. It’s healthier and enhances the cheese flavour. The Swiss eat their Gruyère sandwiches with mustard.

Michelle

Pretty fabulous. My only “swap” was to put the mayo side of the bread on the outside. Crisped up wonderfully in the cast iron and didn’t have to use my Irish butter.

Kathy

My fresh tomato soup is way better and does not take longer. Chop 1 onion 1 carrot 1 potato and cook in 1 T any fat in wok or deep pot until soft, adding water as needed. Chop 2 tomatoes, mix with 1 tsp salt, and let rest while the veggies cook. Add, stir until they break down, puree with stick mixie. Thin with water so you have two servings, adjust seasonings.

Gloria

This soup was AMAZING! I did take advice of other commenters and sauted the onions for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes. I also added a swirl of heavy cream. So delicious and very easy recipe for busy nights... highly recommend!

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