Today's post was inspired by my 2 very favorite tomato soups in the whole world, as well as a related tradition known fondly as "Cheesy Thursday." My fellow Dukes out there all have fond, mouth-watering memories of "Cheesy Thursday" or "Grilled Cheese Thursday" depending on personal preference. Cheesy Thursday (as I prefer to call it) was this glorious thing that happened every single Thursday for lunch and dinner in the main dining hall (back when "D-hall" was the only main dining hall, before "E-hall" was built across campus during my junior year...gosh now I feel old! But I digress...I always digress. LOL.). Cheesy Thursday was the day where creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches were offered as a hot bar option, and cheesecake (vegan and regular!) was offered on the dessert bar. Even if you somehow made it to Thursday without realizing what day of the week it was, you would immediately be reminded as soon as you walked past D-hall and saw the line of students waiting to get in. I'm salivating right now just thinking about all of that creamy, cheesy goodness!
After graduating from my beloved J-Maddy, I moved to Richmond to start my career. Not long after I started my new job, one day I made some reference about how much I missed "Cheesy Thursday" and proceeded to tell my co-workers about this wonderful JMU food tradition. After hearing the story, my boss informed me about Coppola's Deli right down the street and how they offered a tomato soup and grilled cheese combo that a few of his former colleagues typically ordered when they went out to lunch together. I was so excited!!! Thus, I sent out an email to my office friends and a few friends in neighboring downtown offices, recapping this back story and inviting them to join me in an inaugural "Cheesy Thursday: RVA Edition" and a new tradition was born! Nearly every Thursday for several months (and off-and-on for almost 2 years), a group of us enjoyed each other's company while inhaling delicious cheesy goodness in the form of Coppola's incredible tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. So simple, yet so satisfying. But seriously, the soup is off the charts!
I've been wanting to attempt to replicate either or both of these tomato soups for several years, but when my mom gave me an immersion blender for Christmas, I knew it had to happen soon! Last Wednesday when the River City was expected to get hit with a snow storm, I decided this was the perfect time to stock up on potential ingredients. Sure enough, my office was closed for a snow day on Thursday, so naturally, I spent almost all day whipping up various things in my tiny kitchen. Admittedly, I did not succeed in replicating either Coppola's or JMU's tomato soup...I still have many test runs ahead of me to achieve that level of perfection. However, my soup still turned out to be pretty tasty, so now that I've made you read half a novel, here's the recipe that I came up with. :)
Tomato Cheddar Soup
- 2 - 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp EVOO
- 1 cup minced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced OR 1.5 tsp. crushed garlic
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 Tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- Freshly ground pepper & salt, to taste
- 1 cup plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, grated (I took the easy way out and bought pre-shredded, but I recommend grating your own)
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup warmed half & half or milk of your choice
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute until soft and translucent. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute, until fragrant.
Pour in both cans of tomatoes and veggie stock. Add bay leaves, oregano, basil, white pepper, black pepper, and salt. Stir to blend.
Put a lid on the soup and simmer for approximately 10 minutes. After simmering, find and remove the bay leaves. Then stir in the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, Greek yogurt, and the half & half or milk. Add more salt, pepper, and/or other spices to your liking.
Blend using an immersion blender until smooth (or as smooth as possible).
Note to self (and any others who might be prone to doing this): Attempting to operate an immersion blender with one hand while taking photos with the other is a great way to ensure that tomato soup gets flung ALL OVER your tiny kitchen...
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| Case in point...LOL |
Simmer for a few more minutes or until heated through. Then serve immediately and clean your kitchen! ;)
For this recipe, I adapted and combined recipes from "cooking ala mel" and "today's mama" food blogs. The next time I decide to take another stab at replicating my favorite tomato soup, I think I will break down and add butter and actual half & half or heavy cream. Sometimes trying to make a "healthy" version just doesn't pan out as well as the higher fat/calorie version and I think that really made the difference here between good and great. I can't believe I'm writing this, but if you decide to try out this recipe, splurge a little and go for the full-fat ingredients...never thought I'd say that...
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and please feel free to share your favorite tomato soup recipes with me!
