Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

I think that chili in the previous post put a spell on me. 

As warm as it still is (although the humidity is starting to fade somewhat!), I'm suddenly getting into my "fall" state of mind. I was craving some serious comfort food the other night, yet I still wanted to keep it somewhat light and full of veggies. When I found these two recipes for grown-up versions of the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese, I was sold. They were exactly what I was looking for!

Chunky Tomato Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

For the soup:

1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup carrots (diced)
1 cup celery (diced)
2 cups yellow onion (diced)
8 cloves of garlic (minced or pushed through a press)

3 cups of Italian bread, torn into 1" chunks

1/2 cup dry red wine
4 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 28 oz. cans of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes with juice

2 Tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon of black pepper

For the topping:

small handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of Italian bread, cut into 1" cubes
2 slices of prosciutto, torn into pieces (optional)
black pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Pour olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a large stockpot. Saute over medium heat until vegetables are slightly soft- about 10 minutes. Toss in chunks of bread, stir and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes.

Pour in chicken stock, tomatoes (with juices), and red wine. Mix in the basil and black pepper, stir everything up, and bring to a light simmer. Cover partially and allow to simmer for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375. Toss fresh basil leaves with olive oil in large ziploc bag. Add cubes of bread, prosciutto, and a touch of black pepper, and shake to combine (bread won't be fully coated- that's fine). Spread out bread mixture on a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, until croutons are golden brown and crunchy.

When soup is done, top with crouton mixture and fresh Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Serves about 8-10. Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

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Spinach, Tomato, and Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 large slices of Italian bread

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced

4 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 large ripe tomato, sliced

2 Tablespoons of spreadable butter (regular butter at room temperature, or a spread)

Directions: Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan, add onion slices, and allow them to slowly caramelize- about 15 minutes. Heat up panini press, grill pan, or Foreman grill to medium-high.

Top two slices of bread with one half of the cheddar cheese. Layer spinach leaves, prosciutto, tomato slices, onions when they're done, and finally, the rest of the cheese. Top with other two slices of bread, and butter the outsides of the sandwiches. Place on the cooking surface (you'll want to weigh them down if you're using a grill pan), and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until cheese is melty and outside is crisp and golden brown.

Serves 2-4, depending on how large your bread is. Half a sandwich each was plenty for H and I with the soup. Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

These were both amazingly delicious! I definitely felt like they were perfect "transition into fall foods." Very hearty and filling, but not too heavy and rich.