Cheese and Pickle Toastie with Tomato Soup
Ask a Brit abroad what they miss on a grey day and a fair few will say this: a crisp, buttery cheese and pickle toastie, cut corner to corner, with a mug of cream of tomato soup to dunk it in. It takes fifteen minutes and one frying pan. The secret isn't technique, it's the pickle, and that's the one thing you won't find in a Spanish supermarket.
What you'll need (makes 2 toasties)
- 4 thick slices of white or farmhouse bread
- Soft butter, for the outside of the bread
- 120g strong mature cheddar, grated (a well-aged semi-cured cheese also melts nicely if you can't find cheddar)
- 2–3 tbsp Branston Original Pickle or Branston Small Chunk Pickle
- ½ tsp Colman's English Mustard (optional, but recommended)
- 1 tin of Batchelors Condensed Cream of Tomato Soup and milk or water to dilute it
Original or Small Chunk: which Branston is best for a toastie?
Both work, and it mostly comes down to habit. Small Chunk spreads more evenly, so every bite gets some pickle, which is why many people keep it for sandwiches and toasties. Original has bigger, chunkier pieces and is the classic for a cheese board or a Ploughman's. If you only buy one jar, either will do the job.
How to make a cheese and pickle toastie in a frying pan
- Butter one side of each slice of bread, right to the edges. That's the outside.
- Turn two slices butter side down. Spread a thin scrape of English mustard on them, then half the cheese, then the pickle, then the rest of the cheese. Putting cheese on both sides of the pickle glues the toastie together as it melts and stops the bread going soggy.
- Top with the remaining slices, butter side up, and press down gently.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Cook the toasties for 3–4 minutes per side, pressing with a spatula, until deep golden and the cheese has fully melted. If the outside browns before the middle melts, turn the heat down and put a lid on the pan for a minute.
- Rest for one minute, then cut corner to corner. Triangles are not optional.
The tomato soup
While the toasties cook, empty the tin of Batchelors Condensed Cream of Tomato Soup into a small pan and dilute it as the tin directs, with milk for a creamier soup or water for a lighter one. Heat gently, stirring, until steaming but not boiling. Pour into mugs and add a crack of black pepper.
Frequently asked questions
What cheese is best for a cheese and pickle toastie?
A strong, mature cheddar. It melts well and is punchy enough to stand up to the sweet, tangy pickle. Mild cheeses get lost.
Why does my toastie burn before the cheese melts?
The pan is too hot. Cook it low and slow, and grate the cheese rather than slicing it, so it melts faster.
Can I add anything else?
Thin slices of ham or a few rings of raw onion are both classic. Keep the fillings thin so the toastie cooks through evenly.
What else can I use Branston pickle for?
It is the star of a Ploughman's lunch, brilliant with cold meats and pies, and good in a cheese sandwich straight from the fridge.
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