.tomato soup with bacon grilled cheese.

This recipe was on the cover of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. It was in the cooking for one section, so I just doubled the recipe for the two of us. The hubby is a huge fan of tomato soup and making it was SO much easier than I ever thought it would be. I will definitely be making this soup again very very soon. It pairs up well with this sandwich or even by itself. Enjoy!



Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 28oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 slices of bacon
4 slices sandwich bread
2 oz. cheddar (or cheese of choice)
fresh pesto or Salsa Verde

Preparation
1. In a small pot heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until onions are solf, 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender with cream; puree until smooth (Use caution when blending hot liquids. Remove cap from lid and cover opening with a dish towel) **I used an immersion blender, it worked wonders with much less clean-up** Season to taste.
2. In a skillet, cook bacon over medium-high until browned and crisp 10 minutes; drain on paper towels. Remove pan with fat from heat. Layer 2 bread slices with half the cheese, bacon, and rest of cheese; top with second bread slice. Return pan to heat. Cook sandwich until cheese is melted and bread is browned, 4 minutes, flipping once. Serve with soup, topped with pesto if desired.