Souping up for Fall.

Yo, Happy Thursday! Today I thought I would channel my inner vanilla ice and kick things off white-girl style. Okay...maybe not. Dear Houston, my body is really, really, really into this fall thing, so please be so kind as to bless us with cool weather. You might even want to add some colored leaves in there and perhaps some hot chocolate. K, thanks!

If you haven't noticed, I'm trying to will fall here a.s.a.p. While some areas of the U.S. are already experiencing below freezing temps, it takes us a little longer round' these here parts. I have gotten a head start on my fall recipes, whether or not Texas has decided to change seasons. This can only last so long seeing as I am not really a happy camper when its 90 degrees in the middle of October and I am trying to prevent the Halloween candy from melting inside the house. No bueno.

Yesterday was the first time it actually felt cooler outside and to welcome the windy, crisp air, I had one thing in mind...comfort food. I wanted soup...but I also wanted something to slop up that soup, but not necessarily a sandwich, no...I wanted a sandwich cut up into bite-sized squares. Because sandwiches are just cuter like this...and you can call them croutons and eat like 20 of them...never to realize that you have devoured 2 sandwiches in the process. No biggie.









It all starts with roasted carrots.

They get whipped into a soup.

This soup plays some tricks on us. It's thick and creamy as though it has actual cream in it.

WRONG! This soup is totally vegan and good for you! Oh, and the flavor! 

So, things were vegan until I just had to go and add my beloved bacon to a sandwich...

that transforms into croutons.

Melty, gooey, cheesy, salty perfection!

Then the not so vegan croutons take a dip into the vegan soup.

It's all about balance, right?

Dunk these beauties and welcome fall!

Roasted Carrot Soup with Bacon Grilled Cheese Croutons (GF):

Ingredients:

For the soup:
8 large carrots,
extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 c. low-sodium vegetable broth ( or water)
1 c. water
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the croutons:
1 lb. of thick cut pork bacon, uncooked
6 slices of fresh part-skim mozzarella cheese
12 pieces of gluten-free multi-grain bread
unsalted butter, at room temperature, as needed

Instructions:

For the soup:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the carrots on the baking sheet and drizzle with evoo.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning the carrots halfway through the baking time so that they are lightly golden brown on both sides. You want the carrots to be tender, easily pierced with a fork.
4. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and drizzle with evoo.
5. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
6. Add the carrots, veggie broth, and water. Turn the heat to low, and using an immersion blender, blend everything together to a smooth, creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. (You can also put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend if you don't have an immersion blender).
7. Let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes.

For the croutons:
1. In a large non-stick skillet, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until lightly golden brown and crispy.
2. Place the bacon on a paper-lined plate to drain.
3. Place 1 slice of mozzarella cheese on 1 slice of gluten-free bread, fold each piece of bacon in half and place on top of the mozzarella.
4. Cover the bread with another slice of bread to make a sandwich.
5. Spread butter on both sides of the sandwich.
6. Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat.
7. Put the sandwich in the skillet and grill on both sides until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
8. Place the sandwich on a cutting board, cut off the crust, and slice into thick strips lengthwise, then crosswise, forming small squares.
9. Place croutons over a bowl of soup. Top with extra mozzarella and crumbled bacon if you dare!

MANGIA!!!