When I was growing up, my standard lunch was a grilled cheese sandwich made with Wonder Bread and Campbell’s tomato soup. I adored it. I love this play on my favorite childhood lunch because not only is it super simple to make, it also tastes amazing and is ketogenic!
Halloumi is a slightly rubbery and firm cheese that is delicious but on the salty side. It has a unique quality: you can grill or fry it! When heated, Halloumi gets creamy, and the saltiness declines into a robust savory morsel. It serves as the perfect “grilled cheese sandwich” without the bread!
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or coconut oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, or cloves from ½ head roasted garlic
- 1 cup chicken bone broth, store-bought or homemade (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- 4 ounces (½ cup) cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes, or 1 large tomato, diced (with juices)
- 1½ cups tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon stevia glycerite (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Grilled Cheese
- ½ pound Halloumi cheese
- 1 tablespoon MCT oil or melted unsalted butter
Garnishes for Soup (optional)
- ¼ cup sour cream or crème fraîche
- 12 fresh basil leaves
How to Make It
-
To make the soup
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes, stirring often.
- Whisk in the broth, softened cream cheese, tomatoes (including juices), tomato sauce, basil, stevia, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; do not allow it to come to a boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Return the pan to low heat and cover to keep warm while you make the grilled cheese.
- Preheat a skillet, grill pan, or panini maker to medium-high heat. Slice the chunk of cheese into ¼-inch-thick slices. Brush each side with the oil. Place in the hot skillet, grill pan, or panini maker and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown (and with grill marks if using a grill pan or panini maker).
- Remove the cheese slices from the pan or panini maker and serve with the tomato soup. Garnish each bowl of soup with a tablespoon of sour cream and a few basil leaves, if desired.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 412 kcal Calories from Fat: 300.6 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 33.4 g 95% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
carbohydrates 10.9 g 8% |
Dietary Fiber 1.8 g 5% |
Protein 17.3 g 35% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |