Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Fontina Grilled Cheese
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Fontina Grilled Cheese
Description
The Roasted Red Pepper Soup starts with cooking softened vegetables — sweet onions, carrots, celery, and garlic — in olive oil with a seasoning blend of basil, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, and tomato paste. The addition of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and coarsely chopped roasted bell peppers provides a smoked sweetness and depth of flavor. This mixture simmers in stock to meld the ingredients before being pureed until smooth and finished with sour cream for creaminess.
The accompanying Fontina Grilled Cheese sandwiches are prepared by spreading butter on sourdough bread slices and layering freshly grated fontina cheese between two slices. The sandwiches are cooked slowly on medium-low heat to achieve a well-melted cheese interior and crisp golden crust, complementing the rich soup perfectly.
Serve the warm soup with a drizzle of cream and fresh basil leaves for a flavorful garnish. This combination works well as a cozy lunch or light dinner, balancing robust, smooth soup flavors with crunchy, creamy grilled cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped, sweet
- ½ cup carrot chopped
- ½ cup celery chopped
- 4 garlic chopped, cloves
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon basil dried
- ½ teaspoon oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon thyme dried
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 (12 ounce) roasted bell peppers drained and coarsely chopped, jars
- 1 (28 ounce) fire roasted crushed tomatoes canned
- 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt or cream
- basil fresh, for serving
- cream for topping, drizzle
- fontina cheese grilled cheese
- 4 lices sourdough bread
- 6 ounces fontina cheese freshly grated
- butter for spreading, softened
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the basil, oregano, thyme, red pepper and tomato paste. Cook for another few minutes, stirring so the spices and tomato paste get sautéed in with the vegetables.
- Add in the roasted red peppers, crusted tomatoes and 3 cups of stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, I started the grilled cheese sandwiches. I head a nonstick skillet over medium-low spread. I spread the outsides of the bread with softened butter, placing 2 slices butter-side down in the skillet. Top with the grated fontina. Top both with another slice of bread, butter-side up. Cook slowly until the cheese is melty. Gently flip and cook the other side until golden.
- Carefully transfer the soup mixture to a high powered blender (or use an immersion blender!) and puree until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the sour cream until it’s fully incorporated. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve with a drizzle of cream if desired. Top with fresh basil. Serve the fontina grilled cheese on the side.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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