Chutney Grilled Cheese & Masala Tomato Soup

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Background

We got together with Sadaf and Kausar Ahmed, founders of Karachi Kitchen to learn more about their cultural and culinary roots in Pakistan. Between their 2017 cookbook “The Karachi Kitchen: Classic and Contemporary Flavors of Pakistan,” and their line of spices and chutneys, they have remained laser-focused: to help grow awareness and appreciation of Pakistani cuisine of Kausar’s birthplace, Karachi. As the nation’s bustling capital and main port city, Karachi cuisine is vibrant and full of heritage. From fish, to beef, to stews and street foods, the breadth of Pakistani food is far too complex to define in our simple comfort food recipe… but we look forward to continuing to experiment with our friends Karachi Kitchen and help spread the deliciousness that is their line of spices and chutneys.

To learn more about Karachi Kitchen, and to shop their goods, visit https://www.karachikitchenfoods.com/

Cooking and Serving Tips

We actually used a panini press to get a consistent two-sided cook on our sandwiches, but the cook time will remain somewhat similar. When in doubt, watch for cheese melt consistency and the color of the bread as it toasts.

We found that our favorite parts of the soup were the bites where there was just enough chutney to be playful, but not so much as to diminish the masala-and-tomato chorus.

Keep some chutney handy for dipping your toasty bread crusts into!

Serve & Store

Both of these are much better hot and fresh, but you can store either in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

Recipe

Instructions

Grilled Cheese Instructions

Place a medium-sized nonstick pan over medium heat. Optional: grease the pan with 1 teaspoon butter.

Prepare each half of the bread with equal parts Flagship and Just Jack cheese. Add chutney to preference. We layered Spiced Plum Chutney on top of each cheese-covered half to give an extra flavorful center.

Transfer loaded bread slices to the pan, warm for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese starts to melt.

Once cheese is melting, take one half of the sandwich and place it filling-side down on top of the other. Continue to cook, flipping the sandwich periodically to check bread crispiness and cheese meltiness.

Tomato Soup Instructions

Cook Beecher’s Tomato Cheddar Soup according to the instructions on the package. Alternatively, prepare your favorite homemade tomato soup recipe until the ready-to-serve stage.

With a whisk or immersion blender, incorporate your favorite Masala into the soup. We chose 3 tsp Garam Masala for an overall aromatic punch, at Kausar’s recommendation.

Once incorporated and scooped into a serving bowl, spread shredded Flagship over the top of the hot soup, creating a float.

Gently drop small dollops of chutney across float, then top with pinch of masala. We used the Spicy Mango Chutney for a perfect sweet-spicy contrast.