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Avocado Kimchi Grilled Cheese with Thai Spiced Tomato Soup is a surprising, flavorful Thai spin on the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup combination. Kimchi and creamy avocado enhances the gooey grilled cheese, making it the perfect complement to the Thai spiced tomato soup. Time to warm up!
Now that the holidays are over and we are well into the winter season here in Colorado, I am devouring all of the classic comfort foods… but with a fun twist!
This combination is a direct result of watching wayyyy too many episodes of Cutthroat Kitchen, Iron Chef Showdown, and reading about all the different cuisines I’m going to experience when I hit Japan.
I swear, these shows give me the BEST ideas to upgrade the classic recipes I know and love.
I have been craving anything and everything Asian lately (it’s totally my comfort food), but for some reason the grilled cheese and tomato soup combination has been rising to the top of my comfort dinner list.
So why not throw them both together in the best grilled cheese and tomato soup combination ever?
The kimchi in the grilled cheese brings tangy and spicy flavors to the rich and simple grilled cheese that you could never imagine. But the kimchi doesn’t overpower the sandwich! That’s where the creamy avocado comes in to give an added depth of texture and flavor to every single bite.
However, it’s when you dip that sandwich into the Thai spiced tomato soup that everything comes together in a glorious way.
The soup is filled with red curry paste, lemongrass, coconut milk, and other spices to make this soup anything but ordinary. The aroma is intoxicating and as soon as you take your first slurp, you will never want to enjoy tomato soup any other way.
It’s creamy. It’s flavorful. It’s THE comforting meal of the winter this year.
So what are you waiting for?! Time to DIG IN.
This Recipe’s Must Haves
A cast iron skillet is fantastic for the perfect toast on that grilled cheese!
You’ll need a saucepan to make this heavenly Thai tomato soup (plus this one lasts FOREVER so it’s totally worth the investment!)
Don’t forget the wooden spoon to get the soup all mixed up and scrape up those tasty bits on the bottom!
Avocado Kimchi Grilled Cheese with Thai Spiced Tomato Soup
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion
- 1 tablespoon Grated Fresh Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Red Thai Curry Paste
- 14 1/2 ounces Chopped Tomatoes
- 12 ounces Coconut Milk
- 1 stalk Lemongrass smashed
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Thai Basil chopped
- 4 tablespoons Butter cut into 3 even pieces
- 4 slices Hearty White Bread such as Pepperidge Farm or Arnold
- 2 slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 2 slices Monterrey Jack Cheese
- 1 cup Kimchi drained and roughly chopped
- 1 Avocado sliced
- Kosher Salt
instructions
- To make the tomato soup: Add the olive oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and fry for 3 minutes.
- Add ginger and Thai curry paste, stirring constantly, and cook for approximately 30 seconds. Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the Thai basil. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove lemongrass stalk and stir in Thai basil.
- Using a stick blender, blend the soup until creamy and smooth. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
- To make the grilled cheese: To assemble the grilled cheese, place 1 slice cheddar each on two slices of bread. Top with equal amounts of kimchi and sliced avocado. Top with a slice of jack cheese on each and finish with the remaining slices of bread.
- Melt 2 Tablespoon butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Carefully add both sandwiches to the pan. Cooking until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.
- Remove sandwiches from the pan and add remaining butter. Once melted, return the sandwiches to the pan, toasted side up. Cook again until golden brown and the cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately with soup.
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