Soup Sunday: Caprese Soup with Sherried Tomato-Basil Base, Crispy Toast Rounds, Pesto, Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, Shaved Parmesan, + Basil Chiffonade

Soup Sunday: Caprese Soup with Sherried-Tomato Basil Base, Crispy Toast Rounds, Pesto,
Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, Shaved Parmesan, + Basil Chiffonade

Hi y'all, we just rolled back into town from a short little trip to Birmingham + Tuscaloosa!! So, I'm posting kinda late, SORRY. We ended up taking the weekend to visit my Mountain Man's family and also to attend the Alabama-Tennessee Football Game. Oh how I love it there, it really doesn't get much better than "Title Town", y'all. Here are some pictures from the festivities...

On another short + exciting note... Saturday was exactly one year/365 days until the PLC Wedding, yippee!! WE CAN'T FREAKIN' WAIT :)

Okay, now I have shared plentyyyyyyy of our weekend. Onto Soup Sunday. This Sherried Tomato-Basil soup has been featured many'a'times on my blog. It's a classic. It's delicious. It's comforting. Make it, make it all the time. But then, go a little crazy and do it up Caprese-style. Plop some crispy rounds of toasted bread, a schmear of homemade pesto, thick slices of creamy buffalo mozzarella, + shaved parmesan. Torch the crap outta it or place it under the broiler until the browns and gets melty-gooey. Garnish it with fresh chiffonade basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Y'all, this shit is so good. Like french onion soup, but a million times better. Best Soup Sunday everrrrr!! Enjoy :)

For the Soup:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

1 Medium Sweet Onion, Sliced & Cooked until Caramelized

4 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced

28oz San Marzano Tomato Puree

28oz Cans of Whole, Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes

3T Tomato Paste

1C Slow Roasted Tomato Puree or Homemade Slow Roasted Heirloom Tomato Jam

1T Homemade Pesto

4C Chicken Stock

3-6T Sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

¼t Dried Oregano & Red Pepper Flakes (or a little less for not as spicy soup)

1C Cooking Sherry

1 ½C Heavy Cream (or Half & Half can be substituted, Soy Milk for a healthier recipe)

For the Caprese Soup:

Crispy Toast Rounds (one baguette, cut into rounds, brush with EVOO, & bake till crisp)

Homemade Basil Pesto, For Spreading the Crispy Toast Rounds

Extra Creamy Buffalo Mozzarella, Cut into Slices

Grated Parmesan, For Topping

Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Basil Chiffonade, For Garnishing

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Soup: Caramelize the sliced onions in the butter and a sprinkle of salt over medium-high heat until golden brown and beautifully caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Toss in the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes until it is fragrant. Add the whole tomatoes, San Marzano tomato puree, tomato paste, slow roasted tomato puree/slow roasted heirloom tomato jam, homemade pesto, chicken stock, sugar, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a near boil, and then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add in the basil and cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy (do this off the heat). Next, add in the sherry and heavy cream (or choice of milk) and stir. Keep warm until you are ready to eat.

2. Preheat your oven to the broiler or about 500 degrees. You want it extra hot to melt and brown the cheese on top.

3. Assembling the Caprese Soup: Ladle the prepared Sherried Tomato Basil Soup into an over-safe soul bowl. Spread two crispy toast rounds with a generous spoonful of homemade pesto and plop into the top of the soup bowl. Lay the creamy mozzarella slices on top and freshly grate some Parmesan over the mozzarella. Place the bowl onto a baking sheet and put it into your preheated oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven, but keep an out so it doesn’t burn either). After it has perfectly melted and toasted slightly, remove it from the oven. Drizzle the top of the soup with some balsamic reduction, and then finish garnishing with fresh cracked pepper and a mound of basil chiffonade.

4. Enjoy it while it is still hot & gooey and the bread is still crisp, not soggy!

Soup Sunday: Sherried Tomato-Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Sticks Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

Sherried Tomato-Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Sticks Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

Soup Sunday is officially back for the fall y'all!! I will still be posting a few brunch recipes here and there, but Sunday has always been our day to sit back and relax and eat some good ole' soup. I have a mild obsession with trying to find the perfect tomato-basil soup recipe. I've actually made a few different recipes on the blog already, but this soup, it's wayyyy better than those. It's creamy and comforting and just plain delicious. I was inspired by the Pioneer Woman's Tomato Soup with Sherry, but I adapted it some to make it my own. I think I'll tinker with it a little more in the future, but it's damn good. I always have to top my tomato-basil soup with crumbled goat cheese, fresh cracked pepper, and fresh basil. But this time, I decided to serve it with a grilled cheese. Hello childhood, I've missed you sooooo. I made a homemade herbed compound butter, and then fried the slices in the butter. Um, amazing. You get all the goodness from the herbs, but the classic taste of a grilled cheese. I opted for Mozzarella, but Cheddar or Gruyere would be swell as well! And to make it extra cute, I cut our sandwiches into sticks that are just perfect for dippin' y'all... I'm tellin' you. If you make one soup this fall, I'd urge you to make this. I honestly lived off of it for a week, no lie. I hope y'all had a great weekend and Happy Fall!! Enjoy :)

For the Soup:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

1 Medium Sweet Onion, Sliced & Cooked until Caramelized

4 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced

28oz San Marzano Tomato Puree

28oz Cans of Whole, Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes

3T Tomato Paste

1T Homemade Pesto

4C Chicken Stock

3-6T Sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

¼t Dried Oregano & Red Pepper Flakes (or a little less for not as spicy soup)

1C Cooking Sherry

1 ½C Heavy Cream (or Half & Half can be substituted)

Chopped Fresh Basil (to taste, plus extra for garnishing)

Crumbled Goat Cheese

For the Herbed Compound Butter:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Extremely Soft

2T Olive Oil

2T Fresh Basil, Minced

1T Fresh Rosemary, Minced

1T Fresh Thyme, Minced

1T Fresh Parsley, Minced

2 Roasted Garlic Cloves, Mashed into a Paste

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Grilled Cheese Sticks:

Slices of White Bread

Slices of Mozzarella Cheese

Prepared Herbed Compound Butter, Cut into Tabs

Directions:

1. For the Soup: Caramelize the sliced onions in the butter and a sprinkle of salt over medium-high heat until golden brown and beautifully caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Toss in the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes until it is fragrant. Add the whole tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste, homemade pesto, chicken stock, sugar, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a near boil, and then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add in the basil and cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy (do this off the heat). Next, add in the sherry and heavy cream and stir. Keep warm until you are ready to eat.

2. For the Herbed Compound Butter: In a mixing bowl, mix together the butter, herbs, roasted garlic paste, and seasonings to taste. The butter should be smooth and the ingredients should be incorporated throughout. Roll the compound butter into a log and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm again.

3. For the Grilled Cheese Sticks: Assemble the sandwiches with white bread slices and mozzarella cheese. Bring a small sauté pan to medium heat and add in a tab of the herbed compound butter. Let it completely melt and heat through. Fry the sandwiches in the butter for a couple minutes on each side or until the bread is golden brown & crispy and the mozzarella has melted. Remove from the heat to a cutting board, cut off the crusts, and then cut into sticks. Serve immediately with a bowl of soup.

4. Garnish with the soup with some basil Chiffonade and crumbled goat cheese, along with the grilled cheese sticks on the side.

Soup Sunday: Sherried Italian Tomato Soup with Sausage, Spinach, & Tortellini

Now that fall is headin' our way, I'm going to be making soup about once a week. Mainly because we both love soup a lot, so why not have it every week? Well, when were at the grocery store this week, I couldn't quite decide on what soup to make for this first week of Soup Sunday's... my Mountain Man wanted a hearty Italian soup and I wanted creamy tomato. We agreed to marry these two soups together to suit both of our tastes. This soup is substantial & super filling (I mean we're bustin' at the seams right now). I made a creamy tomato soup with sherry and basil, and then added in four cheese tortellini, italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes, and sauteed spinach. At first, I really wanted to make homemade tortellini, but I got lazy and decided to buy store-bought, but if you're feeling extra motivated then definitely go for it! This soup is sweet, spicy, creamy, & hearty. It's really like a meal in a bowl. And it definitely was everything that we were craving for our first soup recipe of the fall. Coming up next for Soup Sunday is Homemade Chicken & Noodle Soup! Enjoy :)

Sherried Italian Tomato Soup with Sausage, Spinach, & Tortellini

Always garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese!

For the Sherried Tomato Soup:

6T Melted Butter

1 Whole Sweet Onion, Diced

1T Garlic, Minced

1 46oz Bottle of Tomato Juice

2 14oz Cans of Diced Tomatoes

1T Chicken Base

3-6T Sugar

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

¼t Dried Oregano & Red Pepper Flakes

Chopped Fresh Basil (to your liking)

1C Cooking Sherry

1 ½C Heavy Cream

2 Packages of 4 Cheese Tortellini, Cooked (I used store-bought)

5 Italian-Style Sausages Cut into Bite-Size Cubes

2C Baby Spinach, Wilted

1C Sun Dried Tomatoes, Julienned

Freshly Grated Parmesan, For Garnish

Directions:

1. Sauté the diced onions and garlic in the butter until translucent, and then add the canned tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken base, sugar, seasonings, & fresh basil. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a near boil, and then turn off the heat. Puree with an immersion blender, and then stir in the sherry and heavy cream. Return the pot back to medium heat and add in the cooked tortellini, chopped Italian sausage, wilted spinach, and sun dried tomatoes. Cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Once the soup has cooked, season with salt and pepper to your liking. 
2. Ladle the soup into a bowl and garnish with fresh basil and some grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy it while it's hot!

source: sherried tomato soup.