Tomato Basil Soup and Mozzarella Basil Grilled Cheese

Last week I made a recipe that had everyone at the table smiling. A homemade tomato basil soup that was easy to make, easier to clean up, had my kids asking for seconds, and a low-cost meal enjoyed by all!ย 

Actually, to go a step further, this meal earned me the โ€œBest Mom of the Weekโ€ ๐Ÿ†๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธ award. Yup, you read that right. The title was only given for a week (and by Friday, it was already taken away because of some parenting rules I enforced). But hey, given the track record of the past 12 months, Iโ€™ll take it!

Since I believe we can all use more reason to smile these days, Iโ€™m sharing this recipe with you.ย 

Easy - Peasy Homemade Tomato Basil Soupย 

Ingredients:ย 

  • 1 large yellow onion, dicedย 
  • 3 large cloves garlic, mincedย 
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 - 28 oz can no salt added peeled tomatoesย 
  • 1 - 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil and garlicย 
  • 1 - 14.5 oz can no salt added tomato sauceย 
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 large fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

Instructions:ย 

  • Dice and mince onion and garlic cloves, if you have a food processor, I suggest using this to dice your onions.ย 
  • Heat 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook about 7 to 10 minutes, until soft.ย 
  • Add the canned tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, frequently stirring, for about 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 10 large basil leaves, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.ย 
  • Purรฉe the soup until smooth or to desired consistency. It is suggested to use an immersion blender. However, I used the food processor, and a standard blender will also work. If using a food processor or blender, work in small batches.ย 

Viola! Ready to serve!

Bonus Smiles: Tomato Basil Mozzarella Grilled Cheeseย 

  • 1 tsp butter (opt for plant-based butter such as avocado butter for lower saturated fat intake)ย 
  • 2 slices whole-grain bread such as Daveโ€™s Killer Breadย 
  • 1 oz mozzarella cheeseย 
  • 1 fresh tomato, slicedย 
  • 2 basil leavesย 
  • Pepper to taste

Top bread with cheese, add tomato, and basilโ€”season with black pepper and top with the remaining slice of bread.ย 

Heat 1 tsp butter over medium heat, add sandwich, and cook until lightly browned, flipping to cook on both sides.ย 

Enjoy!

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