Soup & A Half: Moroccan Tomato Soup and Good Ol’ American Grilled Cheese

Yield: 2 portions or 4 smaller sized portions;
Time Estimate: 25 minutes overall, including 5 minutes of preparation;
Storage Notes: serve immediately. Soup will keep for 2 days if chilled;
Difficulty: easy;

Add a deliciously full, slightly spicy twist on the long-time BFF pairing of tomato soup and grilled cheese. This easy to make recipe is a crowd-pleaser at all ages, and the unexpected complexity of the Moroccan seasoning means that this is just as suitable for a lunch with friends as for Netflix and chill on a night in.

Ingredients:

• 1 large white onion
• 3 Tablespoons Gustus Vitae's “Taste of Morocco”
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable stock (reduced sodium if possible)
• 4 pats of butter
• 4 slices of white bread
• 4 slices of American cheese

Method:

1. Bring a large saucepan up to medium heat, and add 2 pats of butter.
2. Peel and finely dice onions and add to saucepan, stirring frequently for around 4 minutes.
3. Pour in stock, tomato paste, Taste of Morocco, and stewed tomatoes. Mix well and bring up to a boil.
4. Once it hits boil, turn down the heat and simmer for around 12 minutes – plenty of time to whip up the grilled cheese sandwiches.
5. Heat up a frying pan (cast iron is best if you have one handy) on high, and add remaining pats of butter. Place two slices of bread down, layer each with cheese, top with bread, and place the lid of a pot on top of them to weigh them down and speed up the cooking process.
6. Check on browning of sandwiches and flip after 1 to 2 minutes. Cover again with lid, and cook for another minute.
7. Remove sandwiches from heat, slice into triangles, and plate. Ladle out soup into bowls, and serve. Bonus points: garnish soup with a little parsley for a satisfying color contrast.