I have been sharing some educational video these last few weeks, so today we are going to dive into a delicious recipe perfect for the Fall and Winter seasons. This isn't just any food- this is good ole comfort food- a crusty melty gooey grilled cheese and a bowl of delicious silky tomato soup.

Canned tomato soup and traditional grilled cheese sandwiches are loaded with sodium, so with this recipe I wanted to give it a healthy twist. I think you are going to love it!!!

Content Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:47 - Canned Tomato Soup and Sodium
01:29 - Potassium
02:00 - Substituting Vegetable Broth
02:28 - Low Sodium Tomato Soup Recipe
03:47 - Grilled Cheese with a Twist Recipe
05:01 - Conclusion

***Roasted Tomato soup with Artichoke & Spinach Grilled Cheese Recipe***
For 2 People

Ingredients:
For the Soup:
1 bulb of garlic
1.5 lbs tomatoes (about 5 medium sized tomatoes)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup fresh basil

For the Grilled Cheese:
2 cups raw spinach, chopped
¾ cup ricotta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Salt and pepper
7 small artichoke heart, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
4 slices sourdough bread or lower sodium, whole grain bread

Directions:
For the Soup
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Slice about ½ inch off of the top of the bulb of garlic - just enough to expose the cloves.
3. Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, & onion in a baking dish. Drizzle 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over the vegetables along with a small pinch of salt. Mix together with your hands.
4. Pour the rest (1/2 tbsp) of olive oil on top of the head of garlic & enclose it in aluminum foil.
5. Place on the plate with the vegetables. Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF for 45 minutes.
6. Once cooked, place the tomatoes, peppers and onions in a blender. Squeeze the bulb of garlic to remove the cloves & add the cloves to the blender along with 1/2 cup of water and the fresh basil. Blend well. If the mixture does not become completely blended together, don’t worry because it will all be pressed through a sieve.
7. Take a saucepan & place a sieve or mesh strainer over the top. Pour the tomato soup onto the strainer & crush the mixture with a spatula to let as much of the soup as possible pass through.
8. Heat the soup over low heat

To Prepare the grilled cheese.
1. Heat a medium sized non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the spinach & cook for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through.
2. Place the cooked spinach, ricotta, shredded mozzarella & artichoke hearts in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt & pepper if desired.
3. Cut 4 slices of bread & brush one side with olive oil. Turnover and add a little of the spinach-artichoke mix. Close, making sure the olive oil sides are on the outside.
4. Heat a skillet over medium heat and place the grilled cheese. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until the bread is crispy & the inside is warm and melted.
5. Pour the tomato soup into two bowls & top with a drizzle of olive & some fresh basil. Serve the grilled cheese on the side.

Nutrition Profile: Soup & Sandwich Yields: 2 servings
Per Serving Calories (kcal) 635
Protein (g) 29
Carbohydrates (g) 57
Total Dietary Fiber (g) 11
Total Sugars (g) 15
Added Sugar (g) 0
Fat (g) 34
Saturated Fat (g) 13
Cholesterol (mg) 56
Calcium (mg) 714
Magnesium (mg) 73
Phosphorus (mg) 247
Potassium (mg) 1209
Sodium (mg) 489

Nutrition Profile: Tomato Soup Yields: 2 servings
Per Serving Calories (kcal) 179
Protein (g) 7
Carbohydrates (g) 25
Total Dietary Fiber (g) 8
Total Sugars (g) 9
Added Sugar (g) 0
Fat (g) 7
Saturated Fat (g) 1
Cholesterol (mg) 0
Calcium (mg) 145
Magnesium (mg) 51
Phosphorus (mg) 45
Potassium (mg) 1096
Sodium (mg) 31

Nutrition Profile: Grilled Cheese
Per Serving Calories (kcal) 456
Protein (g) 22
Carbohydrates (g) 32
Total Dietary Fiber (g) 3
Total Sugars (g) 6
Added Sugar (g) 0
Fat (g) 26
Saturated Fat (g) 12
Cholesterol (mg) 56
Calcium (mg) 570
Magnesium (mg) 22
Phosphorus (mg) 202
Potassium (mg) 113
Sodium (mg) 458

***This is a high potassium dish because, well, it’s tomato soup. There’s not a lot of way around it. One way to possibly lower the potassium is by changing the serving size to 8 ounces. Another possibility is to use only 1 lbs of tomatoes and add 1/2 cup or so of vegetable broth to the soup instead.

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