Creamy Tomato Soup with a Hot and Crispy Vegetable Sandwich

Creamy Tomato Soup with a Hot and Crispy Vegetable Sandwich

Ingredients for 4 servings

For the sandwiches

• 8 slices of Ciabatta bread
• Dijon mustard to taste
• 1 fresh fennel bulb  peeled and sliced
• 2 washed zucchini/baby marrows cut into thick slices
• 2 Portobello mushrooms thickly sliced
• Cheese of your choice
• 2 or 3 table spoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)
•  1 table spoon of chopped basil

Tomato soup

• 10 ripe tomatoes washed and roughly chopped
• 2 chopped red onions
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 2 table spoons of olive oil
• 200 ml of water
• Thyme and bay leaves to taste
• Fresh herbs (basil etc.)
• Basil pesto
• A pinch of sugar
• 150 ml of crème fraiche

The tip:

• Personalize the sandwiches according to your taste with a variety of vegetables.
• Substitute the crème fraiche with milk, soya milk or tomato juice.
• Make your tomato soup thicker by adding some mielie meal flour during the cooking.
• The sugar, will balance the acidity of the soup. Honey is a healthy alternative.

Directions

First, start with the tomato soup

1. In a Tefal pot warm up the olive oil.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook gently.
3.  When softened, add the tomatoes, garlic, herbs and sugar. Season to taste and simmer gently for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. If the soup is too dry add some water.

The sandwiches

1. Turn on the Optigrill to manual mode
2. Marinate the vegetables with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
3. When the Optigrill is ready grill the vegetables, but keep them slightly crunchy and set them aside on a plate. You can also use a griddle pan to cook the vegetables.
4. Clean the Optigrill and turn it on to sandwich mode.
5. In between two slices of bread, layer the vegetables and slices of cheese (and Dijon mustard).
6. Grill the sandwiches until the Optigrill indicator turns yellow and the cheese has melted.
7.  Blend the tomato soup with a dollop of creme fraiche. Check the seasoning.
8. Enjoy the tomato soup and sandwich as a delicious meal.
9. Bon appétit!