Kimchi Grilled Cheese and Gochujang Tomato (Thai) Basil Soup

It's fall and that means Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, but here's a Korean take on the classic soup and sandwhich! 

Ingredients

Kimchi Grilled Cheese

Loaf of Wonder Bread or cheapo white bread
1 pack of American Cheese
1.5 cups of chopped kimchi
Butter (Kimchi butter if you have it!), left out at room temp to soften. Mayo also works well.

Gochujang Tomato (Thai) Basil Soup

1 medium yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle of tomato juice
4 tablespoons sugar
3 chicken bouillon cubes
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of Gochujang Paste (or more if you want it spicy)
2 tablespoons of Gochugaru (Korean Chili Flake)(or more if you want it spicy)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sherry (optional) 
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai basil

Recipe

Kimchi Grilled Cheese

Butter the outer sides of the bread with soft butter. Place first piece of buttered bread on your hot skillet, place a piece of American cheese on the bread, then add some chopped kimchi to the cheese, and top with another piece of American cheese, then top with the other piece of buttered bread with the buttered side on top. When the lower buttered piece of bread is browned to your liking, flip the grilled cheese to brown the other side. When browned on both sides, plate it and cut in half. Repeat with each sandwich. If you have room on your skillet, you can do more than one at a time! Yum! 

Gochujang Tomato (Thai) Basil Soup

Dice the onion. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or pot. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.

Dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.

Add 4 tablespoons of sugar and 3 chicken bouillon cubes. Stir. 

Add Gochujang and Gochugaru. Continue to stir. 

Add freshly ground black pepper (to taste). Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.

Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and stir.
Serve the soup warm. Enjoy with Grilled Cheese! I can't wait to make this again!