Roasted Tomatoes Soup

Roasted

Tomatoes Soup

with Open Faced,

Pesto, Grilled Cheese

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Ingredients

Pesto

Food processor

3 ounces basil leaves, after stems removed. About 2 cups packed

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh, minced garlic

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/2 cup good quality olive oil

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Roasted Tomatoes

10 ounces grape tomatoes

Salt & pepper

1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Parchment paper

Baking sheet with rimmed edges

Tomato Soup

Dutch oven or soup pot with heavy lid

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups diced, yellow onion

1 cup grated carrot

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly minced, garlic

2-28 ounce cans, whole tomatoes in sauce, such as Cento or Dellalo. If tomatoes are in water add 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the pot.

1 quart vegetable broth

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons finely chopped, fresh thyme (do not use dried)

1-2 bay leaves

1-2 tablespoons sugar

Heavy cream

Salt & pepper

For a lighter soup, omit the cream

Hand held Immersion blender or tabletop blender.

Toppings & Garnish

Crispy bacon

Chopped Italian parsley

Roasted tomatoes

Open Faced Grilled Cheese

Ciabatta Loaf, sliced (ask deli to slice)

Provolone cheese slices

Havarti cheese slices or Gouda

Pesto recipe

Butter

Directions

Pesto

Add the basil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, pine nuts and salt & pepper to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing. Remove the lid and mix in the Parmesan cheese, add extra salt if desired.

Roasted Tomatoes

Halve the tomatoes widthwise and using your thumbs and forefingers, squeeze out the seeds, to discard.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and season with salt & pepper. In a small ramekin, add the garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and mix. Pour over the tomatoes and toss to coat. Spread out evenly onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in the center of the oven at 250F for 2 hours. Remove and let cool.

Tomato Soup

Place the Dutch oven or soup pot on stove top over medium temperature, add the butter and diced onions. Once everything starts to simmer, reduce temperature to med-low, cover and cook until onions start to take on some color, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Remove lid, add the carrots and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes, stirring often so garlic doesn't burn. Add the tomatoes with their sauce to the pot. Add the broth, soy sauce, thyme, sugar and stir. If you have a hand held blender, lightly/coarsely puree everything or crush with a kitchen utensil then add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature to low, cover tightly and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rich in flavor.

Remove from heat, season with salt & pepper and puree in a blender until smooth. Add back to pot over low temperature and add heavy cream to-taste, if using. If soup becomes too thick, add small increments of more vegetable broth to thin out. Serves 8-10.

Open Faced Grilled Cheese

Heat a small skillet over medium temp and add a few tablespoons of butter. Spoon pesto onto one side of Ciabatta slices and then top each with sliced Havarti & provolone cheeses. Place in the butter and cook until the bottoms are nicely browned. Remove and place under the broiler in the oven until the cheese is melted but not browned. Serve with the tomato soup and toppings.