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I\u2019ve read Stanley Tucci\u2019s books, and I\u2019ve seen every episode of his CNN series \u201cSearching for Italy,\u201d and it\u2019s clear that the man knows food. He knows it so well that every time I hear him describe a dish, whether it\u2019s on his Instagram account or in an interview, I\u2019m always left feeling hungry.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
But his confession that he loves pairing grilled cheese with split pea soup gave me pause. My go-to has always been tomato soup but was I somehow wrong? Did Tucci know something I didn\u2019t? Maybe he\u2019s on to something.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Grilled cheese and tomato soup are an ideal pairing for a reason. The acidity of the tomatoes in the soup do a brilliant job of cutting through the creamy interior and crispy exterior of the grilled cheese. It\u2019s simple and brilliant. If that\u2019s the case, why pair a grilled cheese with anything else?\n<\/p>\n While I love dipping my grilled cheese in a bowl of hot tomato soup, I\u2019m open to exploring other options. That\u2019s why I said, \u201chuh?\u201d immediately followed by, \u201cI\u2019d give that a try\u201d when I heard that Tucci prefers pea soup with his grilled cheese. Enamored by the simplicity of both dishes, I found myself agreeing that this could be a combination that works.\n<\/p>\n Tucci\u2019s pea soup sounds simple, made by combining vegetable broth with ham, onions, garlic, and peas. The \u201cbasic-ness\u201d is what works in its favor. No, you won\u2019t get the same acidity as you would from the tomato soup, but you\u2019ll get something satisfying and salty that might be a better pairing for grilled cheese on days when you\u2019ve worked hard shoveling snow or played in a serious snowball fight.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Simply Recipes \/ Elise Bauer\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n If you\u2019re up for trying Tucci\u2019s pea soup and grilled cheese combo, I have a recommendation: Make it from scratch. As he mentions in his interview, it\u2019s not a complicated dish. Making it from scratch allows you to customize it. For example, I love a smooth, creamy pea soup, so I like to use a ham hock but then remove it and puree the soup before serving.\n<\/p>\n You can also play with adding herbs like thyme and rosemary. I also love adding a splash of vinegar or lemon juice for a delicious finishing touch. Remember to keep things simple\u2014that’s part of the appeal of this pairing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Stanley Tucci’s Grilled Cheese Pairing <\/span> <\/h2>\n
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Try This When You Make Your Pea Soup <\/span> <\/h2>\n