Yumm -O!! Chunky Tomato Basil Soup and Grilled Mozzarella, Pesto and Roasted Pepper Sandwiches on multi-grain sourdough bread....hungry yet?
This soup recipe came from a good friend at church...the sandwich I just made up as I went. You can omit the roasted peppers if you don't have any or don't like them. You can have this dinner on the table in under an hour and it's good enough to serve to company.
Roasted Tomato Soup
1/3 c. cup EACH finely chopped carrots, leeks, red onion, and celery
1/4 c. finely chopped green pepper
2 tsp. garlic, minced
3 ounces unsalted butter
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 quart chicken stock
16 oz. can diced tomatoes in puree
1 tsp. basil leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 c. tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. heavy cream (I know, but it's sooooo good!)
Melt butter and heat until very hot but not browned. Add vegetables and saute until softened.
Add garlic. Saute until cooked and vegetables are translucent.
Add the flour, cook, stirring occasionally, about 6-8 minutes. Add chicken stock, stirring constantly to make to make sure there are no lumps. Stir in remaining ingredients, EXCEPT for cream. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, simmer for 20 minutes. Ad the cream. Heat until the soup is heated through about 5 minutes or until hot.
Grilled Mozzarella, Pesto and Roasted Sandwiches
Adjust quantities for number of sandwiches required
Thick sliced multi-gain sourdough bread - 2 slices per sandwich
Fresh mozzarella cheese - 2 slices per sandwich
Fresh or store bought Pesto - 1 T. per sandwich
Roasted Red Peppers (optional) - enough to cover cheese in a single layer
( I roast my own if they're on sale. I keep a jar on hand just in case.)
Olive oil
For each sandwich:
Brush one side of each piece of bread with olive oil. Spread one slice with 1 T. pesto. Add two slices fresh mozzarella cheese and roasted red peppers if using. Top with 2nd slice of bread that has been brushed with olive oil. Grill until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.
Enjoy!!
