For our September 2021 Soup of the Month, I selected Tomato Basil Soup paired with a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s the perfect introduction to fall and cooler weather. September has started off here with rain, rain, and more rain – ideal weather for this delicious combo.

Here is the link to the recipe I used, https://tasty.co/recipe/tomato-basil-soup.

I followed the recipe exactly, except I used vegetable broth which I made myself. I used jalapeno peppers in my broth that added a spicy flavor to the soup. The ingredients for this recipe are simple and inexpensive. It’s quick and easy. I blended the soup with an emulsifying blender right in the pan.

My soup was spicy and delicious. I topped it with fresh basil leaves from my spice garden and it was the perfect rainy day pick me up.

A grilled cheese sandwich is the perfect accompaniment to any tomato soup. I made two different sandwiches – one for James and a vegan option for me.

Here is the link for the traditional grilled cheese sandwich, https://natashaskitchen.com/grilled-cheese-sandwich/.

This recipe uses cheddar, gouda, and Havarti cheese slices, but states any combination of cheeses can be used. I followed the recipe and my son loved it! The cheeses blended well and melted evenly. The technique recommended for toasting the bread to a golden brown worked perfectly. The cost of this recipe will vary according to the cheeses you choose and the bread you use.

For my sandwich, I used vegan cheddar cheese and vegan butter. I also added thinly sliced fresh tomato. Using the same technique to toast the bread as in the above recipe, the cheese melted evenly – I’ve mentioned in other articles that vegan cheese doesn’t tend to melt as quickly or as well as dairy cheese. The tomato slices paired well with the cheese and the sandwich was delicious with the soup.

Our October soup will be Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili paired with Pomegranate and Wild Rice Salad

The Twelve Months of Soup

January – Chicken Noodle Soup and Mandarin Orange Salad

February – Seafood Bisque and Strawberry Spinach Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette Dressing

March – Potato and Leek Soup and Beet Salad

April – Vegetarian Vegetable Soup with a Vegetable Panini

May – Black Bean Soup and Mexican Kale Salad

June – Italian Wedding Soup with a Chicken Wrap

July – Minestrone Soup with a Hoagie

August – Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Quinoa Salad

September – Tomato Basil Soup with a grilled Cheese Sandwich

October – Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili and Pomegranate and Wild Rice Salad

November – Butternut Squash Soup with a turkey sandwich

December – Split Pea Soup with a Ham Sandwich