Vegetable Soup and Pesto Grilled Cheese

5 from 3 votes

This homemade Vegetable Soup is made with fresh garden veggies! It's perfect served with a mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwich for dipping.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: healthy vegetable soup, fresh vegetable soup, pesto grilled cheese,

Servings:

Calories: 363kcal

Mince 6 cloves garlic and 1 onion (any color).
Peel 4-5 large carrots and cut them into slices (yields 3 cups chopped carrots). Cut the slices into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the carrots.
Wash and trim the ends from 1 lb. of green beans (yields 3 cups chopped green beans). Cut the green beans into halves or thirds, depending on the size of the green beans.
Place a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot on the stove top and heat to medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to the pot.
Once heated, add the minced garlic and onions. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the chopped carrots and green beans along with ½ tsp. of kosher salt and ¼ tsp. of pepper. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour 4 ½ cups of low sodium vegetable broth into the pot along with 1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes (and juices) and 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning. Stir until completely combined.
Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low boil, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Roughly chop 2 packed cups of spinach (or hearty greens of choice such as kale, Swiss chard, or arugula). Drain 1 15. oz. can of cannellini beans.
After 15 minutes, add the chopped greens to the soup along with the drained cannellini beans. Stir until combined.
Place the lid back on the pot and cook the soup on a low boil for another 5 minutes. Continue to cook until the veggies are tender, but not mushy and the spinach wilted.

Assemble and make the sandwiches while the soup is simmering.
Take 4 slices of gluten free deli style bread (or any bread if not gluten free) and spread 1 Tbsp. or so (adjust to taste) of jarred basil pesto onto each one.
Cut 1-2 Roma tomatoes into slices (or any tomatoes with a low water content).
Cut 1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese into slices (alternately, you can use pre-sliced fresh mozzarella).
Place as many slices of the fresh mozzarella cheese onto each slice of bread as you like. Add a few slices of fresh tomato on top of the cheese. Place the other half of the bread on the sandwich. Spread a generous amount of softened butter onto the outside piece of each sandwich.
Place a large skillet on the stove top and heat to medium-low. Make sure the skillet is thoroughly heated before adding the sandwiches.
Cook the sandwiches on one side for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese has started to melt and the bread is golden brown, rotating the sandwiches if needed in order to cook evenly. Flip and cook for another 5-8 minutes, rotating if needed. Repeat with any remaining sandwiches (optional).
The sandwiches are done when the cheese is melted and the outside of the bread is crusty and golden brown.
To Serve: Cut the grilled cheese sandwiches in half and serve with a bowl of the vegetable soup. Garnish the soup with grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese or fresh herbs such as basil or parsley (optional).

The nutritional information includes one bowl of soup and half a sandwich.

You can make either just the soup or just the sandwiches if you don't want to prepare both of them together.

This recipe makes two grilled cheese sandwiches. Feel free to adjust as needed.