Meatless Monday with Tomato Fennel Soup and Mozzarella Basil Sandwiches

Hello and welcome to another Meatless Monday. As a green call centre, we support the Meatless Monday movement in support of reducing meat consumption to improve personal and planetary health.

For dinner tonight we will be making a dish that is healthy, delicious and also a spin on a childhood classic. So what’s for dinner tonight? A tomato-fennel soup and miniature mozzarella and basil sandwiches. This dish comes by way of Chef Jim Nuetzi of The Capital Grille during an appearance on the forth hour of the Today show with Hoda Kotb with guest co-host Jimmy Fallon. One change we’ll be making for the purposes of Meatless Monday is that we’ll be removing the prosciutto that was originally in the sandwich. Now, let’s head into the kitchen and get cooking.

Tomato-fennel soup Ingredients
• 3 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup blended olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, peeled, sliced thin
• 2 fennel bulbs, sliced thin
• 2 carrots (washed, peeled, and grated)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, fresh, heavy stem removed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F degrees (with the blower on set on low if possible). Drain the tomatoes through a strainer, reserving the juice. Place drained tomatoes in a single layer on a sheet and place in the preheated oven. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes to remove moisture and intensify flavor.
Place the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat and add the onions, fennel and carrots with 2 tsps. of the kosher salt. Sweat under cover for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are soft and have released their juices. Remove cover, add garlic, and cook uncovered 5 additional minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the white wine and stir, deglazing flavors from bottom of pan.
Add the roasted tomatoes and reserved tomato juice to vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the basil leaves. Allow soup to cool for 30 minutes. Puree soup in small batches using a blender or food processor. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Place the soup in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour soup evenly into hot soup bowls and garnish with the grilled cheese sandwiches (instructions below). Recipe makes enough for 12 bowls of soup.

Miniature mozzarella and basil sandwiches Ingredients
• 6 slices baguette
• 3 slices fresh mozzarella
• 1/4 cup clarified butter
• 2 tablespoons grana padano parmesan (prepared on the microplane)
• 1/2 cup marinated tomato salad
• 1 each basil sprig

Directions
Lay three slices of the demi baguette out. Top each slice of bread with a slice of mozzarella. Top each slice of mozzarella with a basil leaf. Place the second piece of bread over each sandwich. Brush each side of each sandwich with clarified butter (about 1/2 ounce per sandwich), and sprinkle the grana on both sides of each sandwich. Press the grana into the bread to be sure that it adheres. Place the remaining butter on the preheated sandwich press and cook the sandwiches until crisp. While the sandwiches are cooking, place the tomato salad on one end of a room-temperature plate.
Arrange the sandwiches at the other end of the plate and serve immediately. Recips yields 3 servings.

Though this is a very easy meal to make any night of the week, you can make the soup ahead of time if you are particularly short on time. To do say “You may complete the soup all way till step 10, at least one day in advance. Chill the soup rapidly and then complete step number 11 immediately prior to serving.” This is a great way for adults to enjoy a more sophisticated version of one of their childhood classics. If you want to make this dish even healthier use low-fat mozzarella in the sandwiches on a whole wheat baguette. Subtle changes like this will help you keep your 2011 resolution to be healthier. Not to mention that the tomato soup is healthier than others because it is not cream based. Tomato-fennel soup and miniature mozzarella and basil sandwiches are a perfect and complete winter meal. If you try this recipe please let us know how it turned out, as your feedback is always appreciated.

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to visit the Meatless Monday site to learn more. Join the movement and promote going Meatless on Mondays to co-workers and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop or salon even greener.