How I became the open minded eater I am today I’ll never know, as this was definitely not always the case.
These days I’ll pretty much gulp anything with gusto, but I remember many a night growing up when I’d be left at the dinner table, long after the others were done, to finish the food I didn’t want to eat ’cause NOBODY LEAVES THE TABLE ‘TIL THEIR PLATE IS CLEAN!
I’d sit for as long as it took to choke down the last few bites of cold pork chop, plug my nose and slam the remaining lukewarm milk in my glass, or if could get away with it, introduce my mortal enemy ham loaf to my good friend paper napkin, when no one was looking.
One dish I could not handle though, was tomato soup. No amount of coaxing or time spent at the table could force me to eat the stuff, and my Mom knew it. She mercifully skipped my bowl when ladling it up for the rest of the family alongside the crispy, gooey grilled cheese sandwiches she’d serve it with.
Thanks Mom. 
I can’t even pinpoint what it is about tomato soup that gives me such irrational levels of heebie jeebies, but I’ve felt the same way about it all my life and I’d planned on spending the rest of it hating the red, thick and sloppy soup – until about a month ago. That’s when I made the tomato sauce that was so good it pissed me off, which oddly enough, reminded me of tomato soup!
Instead of the slightly sweet, condensed and canned version of my childhood though, it was elegant, silky and sophisticated. And so I became obsessed. Obsessed with finding a similar recipe in soup form that was slow cooked, fresh tasting, and homemade, which would change my mind about tomato soup forever.
Here’s what I found – Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar.
This is IT. The BOSS. Tomato Soup for grownups!
It all starts with these: fresh tomatoes. Nothing canned or condensed here.
The juicy veggies are halved and simply seasoned with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
Along with 2 cloves of garlic wrapped in tin foil, they’re popped in the oven and roasted to juicy, tender, golden brown perfection.
See??
Pictures like this make me sooo happy.
After the tomatoes and garlic are roasted (I wish smell’net existed so you could get a whiff of this roasted garlic!)
they’re pureed to the consistency of your choice. I’m not a chunky veggie girl, so I let mine get pretty smooth.
Afterwards the tomato puree is simmered with chicken broth and a few simple spices until it’s thick and bubbly.
Then the real magic happens. The broiled cheddar action takes place!
Replicating the classic pairing of grilled cheese and tomato soup, toasted & buttered baguette pieces are floated on top of the soup, then freshly shredded, sharp cheddar cheese is mounded on top.
I mean!!!
A few minutes under the broiler…
and you’ll be over the moon.
This soup is delicate and packed with fresh, roasty flavor. It tastes NOTHING like the soup of my childhood, and for that I am grateful.
Plus, howya’ gonna hate on anything with a broiled cheese lid?! 
Click here for the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, and happy slurping!
PS my brother was on the Today Show today! Apparently Ann Curry picked him out of the crowd because she liked, and wanted to touch, his hair?! Check out the video! 
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"My most hated food as a kid was ________."
woah. that is a nice looking tomato soup!!! (i can only eat tomato soup if some form of cheese is involved! this looks right up my alley)
as i kid, i could not handle fish….especially raw fish.
Yum – Smitten Kitchen has the absolute best tomato recipes.
I’m glad you like tomato soup now! It’s one of the classics for sure.
I’m with you!! Traditional tomato soup is just wrong. But this looks AMAZING!! Can’t wait to try it!
there is nothing in life better than grilled cheese + tomato soup. a childhood (and adult life!) classic. yum.
my most hated food as a kid was PEAS!! my mom made them all the time. still can’t stomach them.
omg I HATED peas too!
Brussels sprouts which I now love! I was the same way with tomato soup and then just as I discovered it’s wonderfulness I became allergic to tomatoes. Like breakout head to toe allergic
I made this a few weeks ago! It’s sooooo genius and delicious. It’s like French onion soup, only better
I hated mushrooms. Still do. Ew.
My most hated was Shake & Bake Chicken. I was forced to eat every bite and it often included chewing each piece about 100 times and lots of gagging. Love the stuff now though!
I can’t eat tomato soup, either! I actually can’t remember ever trying it. I’m tempted to make yours…which is strangely exciting for me? =) Also…maybe it wasn’t the taped portion…but your brother met Kathy Lee Gifford, not Ann Curry (sorry for him!) =)
I’m an Iowa Girl, too and LOVE your blog!
Oops should have clarified. He was interviewed by Kathie, but Ann picked him out!
Haha, I would have never guessed that you hated tomato soup! I used to LOVE that Campbell’s condensed soup, only if it were made with milk. I still kind of crave it when I’m sick because it reminds me of home.
Try crumbling some blue cheese on homemade tomato soup. Yum! I’ve also stirred in some pesto to give it a nutty/cheesy/herby flavor. I love homemade tomato soup, so I’ve concocted many versions.
I hated cheeseburger pie. Wet doughy “pie crust” with ground beef and a crusty cheese on top. I didn’t and don’t like cheeseburgers period, so that didn’t help. Disgusting! I was also part of the clean your plate club, but I would get a spanking after sitting for 45 minutes! Talk about extreme!
I can’t believe Kathy said, “Smarter than this guy from Iowa.” And then Hoda said, “Definitely smarter.” Sheesh. A bit harsh, huh?! I wouldn’t have known that Yoga was older either. The way that asked the question sounded like they were asking which one became more popular here instead of which one was invented first. At least he got a CD!
Canned peas was my enemy growing up…it didnt help the night I decided to cram all of them into my mouth. The plan was to get to the bathroom and spit them out but dad wouldnt let me leave the table until I swallowed…an hour later I finally swallowed the mushy nasty mess that had been sitting in my mouth : (
And Im with you but I still have not tried tomato soup…but I do love chili with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
As a kid I could not stand scrambled eggs. Weird right? The texture totally weirded me out. Now I love them!
That cheese lid on your soup looks divine.
I don’t know if I can ever make that soup, because the roasted tomatoes look so good I would stop there! I wasn’t the hugest fan of tomato soup when I was younger either, but thankfully it was not on our regular menu. Now I love it, but I prefer more flavorful, creamy versions like bisque.
My most hated foot as a kid was bologna. So much so I pretended I was allergic so I would never have to eat it….
KFC chicken AND tomato soup! i could never understand why we would eat that crappy KFC when mom’s homemade was oh-so-much better! and the soup, well, you understand….ick. unfortunatly i do not have a food processor or even a blender, or i would be makin that soup pronto!
This looks amazing!!! I never liked stuffing, but it’s growing on me : )
Ugh–Right there with you on canned tomato soup, although Muir Glen’s Tomato Basil isn’t bad at all. I generally will only eat homemade tomato soup–I never thought about broiling some cheese on top. It’s supposed to s-n-o-w a bit this weekend, and that would be awesome comfort food!
I don’t like tomato soup either. But I used to make it for my Mom when she was sick with milk, butter and a lot of black pepper. I might be willing to try it now but the dish I refuse to even consider is Brussels sprouts
I hated coleslaw! Still do, it’s disgusting! I have tried every variety under the sun. I like all the individual things in coleslaw, just not together! Ick!
That does look good! Any chance of you making a killer corn soup? Makes me wanna puke every time.
Haha, but when I was little I liked eeeeeeevery food.. except for mashed potatoes. Couldn’t stand em!
i used to hate peas. ugh disgusting! now i like them frozen, or fresh. still not canned. but then again, i never buy anything canned.
I’d go hunry on egg strata night. Something about the mushy bread and eggs still makes me gag.
That sounds good…but this is true grown up tomato soup: http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2009/11/michael_symons.html
I’d have to say, tomato soup was my least favorite and still is but this is definitely worth trying. Yum!
Oh, I hated so many things growing up, and I, too, could not leave the table until I was done. This often meant I was at the table alone, or with the dog, for an hour after my parents were finished eating. The foods I hated included Brussels sprouts, lima beans, meatloaf, eggplant, anything with onions.
Wow – where do I begin … I disliked many foods as a child – canned spinach, peas, brussel sprouts, broccoli, tomatoes of any kind – soup, ketchup, etc, wheat bread, cheese (unless it was melted), mayo, onions, lima beans, beats etc. I too had to ‘clean my plate’. It wasn’t pretty. Cried many tears over food that I had to eat.
As a grownup I have learned to like most of these .. except canned spinach and brussel sprouts. I may have to try your tomato soup as it looks great – the melted cheese makes it !
I know they’re essential, but without the baguette and cheese, it’s only three ingredients? Pretty awesome, and just in time for the “cold” weather!
Oh, there were so many things I didn’t like: fried foods, meat, chicken, poultry, peas, pizza (I know, I know but I like it now!) . I was such a picky eater. I’ve always like tomato soup although I am a bit sensitive to all of the salt in most soups. I tried making my own tomato soup once-it looked heavenly and smelled terrific however when I tasted it, the salt gave me an instant headache and I was instantly lightheaded and I nearly passed out. It was so frigtening! I stay away from soups now, since I am so sensitive to salt, but they sure look good!
I hated meatballs! Love ‘em now, though!
My hubs and I make a similar recipe (sans broiled cheese which I must do next time!) with the addition of peppers and onions and balsamic vinegar. Just add those to the roasting and it is D-I-V-I-N-E.
I loathed meatloaf. Something about meat being in a “loaf” form grossed.me.out Now I make a pretty mean BBQ meatloaf that puts my mom’s to shame
(She’s even admitted it, hehe)
I hated tomato soup too! I stopped hating it a few years ago once I realized there was more to it over the boring canned stuff! Now my favorite soup is homemade butternut squash tomato soup
I hated broccoli and I still do. I WISH I liked it! I really do, but I just hate it.
That’s awesome and hilarious about your brother!
Beef stroganoff. BLECH
The soup looks amazing! I’ve never made a soup from scratch and this one is super easy – I’m tryin it! My most hated food as a kid was white rice. Weird, I know.
This soup looks delish. I am so trying it this weekend (my lil one loves tomato soup). Oh and bologna is disgusting there were many lunches where I was tortured with it as a kid.
As a kid, I once tried to get out of eating tuna fish by blowing my nose and then spitting the tuna fish out into the tissue. Well, of course, my mom knew what I was doing, so she forced me to eat the tuna fish with snot in it! Tough love in my household, I tell ya’!
p.s. Your brother seriously got the hardest question out of all of them. I wouldn’t have known that either.
Ahhahaha, say it aint so!!
Peas. My least favorite food in the entire world was peas. And raisins. Okay I have two LOL
The peas I can do when they are in other things now, but plain. Nuh-uh no way…such a weird consistency.
But still can’t do the raisins, although I have tried. Even in cookies they weird me out.
These pictures are amazing btw!!
P.S. Good title! I have noticed I need to work on the titles of my posts to catch people’s attention..therefore I notice what titles catch mine.
That is so funny because I STRUGGLE with post titles every single night. I feel like I am the worst at them!
I can’t believe this is Tomato wow what a attractive photos
I always hated meatloaf! My mom used to make it with some ketchup cooked on top, gross. Now she makes it with a mushroom gravy and it’s actually kinda good. The turning point was trying it on a kaiser roll with some cheese and red hot, it totally changed how I felt about it haha.
Um, that looks DELICIOUS! I am not a fan of tomato soup either IGE, but I guess I never stopped to think about why. The canned stuff is just a little too “tomatoey” amiright? I might have to try this though, those roasting tomatoes convinced me!
YES! Maybe that’s it! The canned stuff just tasted like hot ketchup!!
I cringed (and almost gagged) reading about swallowing the pork chop and lukewarm milk, as I have so many of those exact memories. I could not stand pork chops, meatloaf or roast and I would sit at the table long after my family had finished trying to choke them down. To this day I still can’t drink milk because of the all too many times I had to chug it warm. Barf.
Let’s just hope you’re not the one your brother re-gifts Kathie Lee’s Lullaby album to, Merry Christmas.
This looks awesome!
I also have distinct memories of HATING that Campbell’s can… and sloooowly eating my grilled cheese in hopes I could dash without having to touch the bowl (maybe a phone call would distract mom long enough….or the little brother with cheese in his hair and soup in his lap
I’ll have to try this – sounds like my kind of therapy!
Oatmeal— I hated oatmeal! But randomly loved cream of wheat.
This soup looks wonderful. Before I read your post I was thinking, “I bet she added cheese”. Awesome idea.
That soup looks great. I always hated tomato soup, too, until I tried Progresso hearty tomato. It is chunky and delicious and nothing like the condensed soup I remember trying when I was younger. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Way to go IG brother. Nice try.
Oatmeal!
So sweet about the Today Show! I seriously watch it every morning!!
I love tomato soup! Perfect comfort food!