Recipe Background
Friday Night Comfort Soup combines creamy tomato broth and saffron for an easy, celebratory dish.
The first time I made this comforting soup was on a rainy Friday night after my teenage son had just passed his driving test. We wanted to celebrate, but the weather demanded something warm and hearty. I always keep a can of crushed tomatoes in the pantry, and when I spotted them next to the saffron I had bought on a whim, an idea sparked. As he revved up tales of smooth turns and parallel parking, I had the onions slowly caramelizing in olive oil, turning golden and sweet.
Soon enough, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of garlic mingling with chicken stock, a sign that the heart of our soup was well underway. I added the ingredients with an excited, albeit cautious, promise of full celebration in each simmering bubble. While the soup simmered, I set about making the grilled cheese. Gruyère added elegance, transforming the humble sandwich into something worthy of our mood. A neat little chef's trick I snagged — brush each corner of the bread with melted butter for an all-over golden crust.
The soup was a hit, and even my son's friends have joined us occasionally, not just for the ride but in anticipation of our Friday Night Comfort Soup. Laughter at the dinner table was an exquisite bonus, mingling effortlessly with the warming notes of saffron and cream. The grilled cheese croutons turned out to be a clever surprise, adding a perfect crunch with each spoonful. And the best part? Letting it rest is key, yielding irresistibly clean, satisfying slices.
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups yellow onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- saffron threads optional, to taste
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup orzo
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the grilled cheese croutons:
- 4 slices country white bread sliced 1/2-inch-thick
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese grated
Directions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden-brown, about 15 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken stock, the tomatoes and their juices, the saffron, the salt, and the black pepper to the onion mixture and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat and simmer the soup, about 15 minutes.
- In a medium pot of salted, boiling water, cook the orzo for 7 minutes. It will finish cooking in the soup. Drain the water.
- Add the cooked orzo and the heavy cream to the soup and simmer, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, preheat a panini grill according to manufacturer's directions.
- Place the 4 bread slices on a cutting board and lightly brush each, including the corners, with the melted butter.
- Turn 2 of the slices over and sprinkle each with 2 ounces of the Gruyère cheese.
- Place the 2 remaining bread slices, buttered-side up, on top of the cheese layers to create 2 sandwiches.
- Place the cheese sandwiches on the heated panini grill and cook until they are jusrt browned, about 5 minutes.
- Place the sandwiches on the cutting board and let them rest for 1 minute. Cut the sandwiches into 1-inch-thick cubes.
- Serve the soup topped with the grilled cheese croutons.
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