serves
4
prep
15 minutes
cook
50 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
50
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 1 kg g ripe tomatoes
- 6 small garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 400 g canned whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
- 1 chipotle chilli in adobo (see Note)
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Grilled cheese fingers
- 40 g cheddar, coarsely grated
- 40 g gruyere or emmenthal, coarsely grated
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices Tip Top 9 Grain® bread, crusts removed, halved
- whole-egg mayonnaise, for spreading
Instructions
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat (you don’t need any oil). Add the whole tomatoes and garlic cloves and cook, turning occasionally, until well blackened in parts. Remove items from the pan when they are ready (tomatoes, about 10 minutes; garlic, about 10 minutes). Peel the garlic when cool enough to handle.
Place the blackened tomatoes, garlic, canned tomatoes, thyme, oil and sugar in a heavy-based roasting tray, add 400 ml water and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 45 minutes until tomatoes have softened. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender or food processor (in batches, if necessary) and blend until a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a saucepan and keep warm until ready to serve.
To make the grilled cheese fingers, combine the cheeses and pepper in a small bowl. Spread the mayonnaise over one side of the bread fingers, spreading right to the edges.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat (you don’t need any oil). When hot, add half of the bread fingers, mayonnaise-side down, to the pan, allowing space between each finger. Sprinkle over the cheese mixture – it’s okay if cheese hangs off the edges as it will make lovely crispy edges. Top with the remaining bread fingers, mayonnaise-side up. Cook, pressing down occasionally with a spatula, for 2 minutes each side or until the cheese is melted and the fingers are golden and crisp - but make sure the bread does not burn. Remove from the pan and cool for 1 minute.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the grilled cheese fingers.
Note
• Chipotle in adobo is available in cans from select grocers (including Harris Farm) or available online.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
