Pesto Grilled Cheese and Vegetable Soup
This Pesto Grilled Cheese and Vegetable Soup recipe is a hearty and healthy vegetarian meal that's great for lunch or a light dinner!
Servings: 4
Calories: 600kcal
Ingredients
For The Soup:
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion
- 4-5 large carrots
- 3 cups fresh green beans
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 16 oz. can cannellini beans
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 heaping tsp. Italian seasoning
- generous pinch kosher salt
- generous pinch pepper
For The Sandwiches:
- 8 slices gluten free sandwich bread or any bread if not gluten free
- 4 Tbsp. basil pesto
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 large tomato
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
For The Soup:
- Mince 6 cloves garlic and 1 onion.
- Cut 4-5 large carrots into slices. Try to make sure the carrots are a uniform size to ensure even cooking.
- Wash and trim 3 cups of fresh green beans. Cut the beans in half.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. or so of olive oil in a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pan.
- Add the garlic and onions and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the carrots along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add a splash of vegetable broth to the pan if carrots begin to stick.
- Add the green beans to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add more vegetable broth if necessary.
- Add 3 ½-4 cups of vegetable broth. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer/low boil and cook with the cover on for 20 minutes or so or until the carrots and green beans are soft but not mushy.
- Add 1 16 oz. can of cannellini beans, 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 heaping tsp. of Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and reduce heat to low.
For The Sandwiches:
- Assemble and make the sandwiches while the soup is simmering.
- Cut 1 large tomato into uniform slices and cut 1 ball of fresh mozzarella into uniform slices.
- Spread 1 Tbsp. or so of jarred basil pesto onto 4 slices of gluten free bread (or any bread if not gluten free). Top each slice of bread with 2-3 mozzarella slices and 2 tomato slices. Place the second piece of bread onto each one (total 4 sandwiches).
- Heat a flat-bottomed skillet to slightly lower than medium.
- Spread a small amount of butter onto one side of the sandwich and place in the pan (butter side down). Butter the other half at this point.
- Cook the sandwiches (2 at a time) for 4-5 minutes per side or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Cut the sandwiches in half and serve with a bowl of soup.
Notes
This recipe is gluten free and uses a gluten free sandwich bread, but you can use any sandwich bread if gluten is not an issue for you.
You can make either the soup or the sandwiches if you don't want to prepare both of them together.
Nutrition
Calories: 600kcal