VEGETARIAN | MEDITERRANEAN DIET
INGREDIENTS:
For the Soup:
- 2 12oz Jars Botticelli Roasted Red Peppers, drained
- 1 24oz Jar Botticelli Chef Select Passata Traditional
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 tbsp. Botticelli Chef Select Cooking Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Heavy cream, for drizzling
For the Grilled Cheeses:
- 4 slices of sourdough bread, or your preferred bread.
- 4 slices of fontina cheese
- 4 slices of gouda cheese
- Butter, room temperature for spreading
PREPARATION:
- Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tbsp of Cooking Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the bottom and the onion. Sauté for about 8 minutes or until they are fragrant and transparent.
- Add the garlic cloves and continue to sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
- In a blender, add the onion garlic mixture, roasted red peppers, and chicken stock. Blend until silky smooth.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot and add the Chef Select Passata, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If preferred, add extra stock or water to thin out the soup.
- Remove the soup from the heat. Let the pot gradually cool while you make the grilled cheeses.
- To make the grilled cheeses, heat a pan over medium-low heat. Butter the one side of all the slices of bread and set aside.
- Place one slice of bread, butter side down into the pan. Next, layer a slice of fontina cheese and a slice gouda cheese. Top with another slice of bread, butter side up. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook slowly to ensure a crispy crust. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the bottom slice has turned a golden-brown.
- Carefully flip the grilled cheese and cover again and let cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the bread has toasted enough and the cheese has melted through. Repeat with the second grilled cheese. Keep in mind, the pan is hotter this time around, cooking time may vary. Once done, let cool while you prepare the soup bowls.
- Once the second grilled cheese is almost done, ladle out your soup portions into your bowls. Top each bowl with a drizzle of heavy cream.
- Slice your grilled cheeses into small bite sizes and top your soup with them before serving!