Carrot Leek Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
This Carrot Leek Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons is a vegetarian soup with gooey grilled cheese croutons on top!
First things first: how pretty is this soup?! I am loving that orange color because I feel like food that is pretty always tastes 1000x better. I'm not always the best at making food look pretty (because your girl gets hangry and it isn't pretty) but I love when a food is effortlessly appealing to the eye.
Okay and second, can we just not eat soup without grilled cheese croutons ever again? I mean, after eating soup with grilled cheese croutons, you can't really go back. It's S'GOOD!
I made this Carrot Leek Soup because I feel like this time of year I'm craving fresh veggies but also still need a good hot meal because it's still in the 30's here in Minnesota. p.s. spring you can start aaaaaany time!
And since it's still in the 30's here, I needed those grilled cheese croutons. I need comfort food if it's going to be the end of March and I still need a down jacket!
Go Veggie Mozzarella Slices
Speaking of the grilled cheese croutons, I used my favorite lactose free cheese, GO VEGGIE Mozzarella Slices. Without sacrificing cheesiness or taste, these mozzarella slices are lower in calories, fat, and have no cholesterol, and have double the calcium. I love using these slices on sandwiches and wraps, too for an every day healthier choice!
Carrot Leek Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
You might notice the ingredients of the soup are super simple and minimal. That's because this soup doesn't need much to taste incredible aside from the veggies. I thought about adding some cumin or paprika to the soup but after I tasted it without, I realized it didn't need anything else. Instead I let the carrots and leeks really shine through!
Another great thing about this soup is that it is super quick to make. A quick sauté of the veggies and about 15 minutes of simmering in vegetable broth, and it's ready! Just make the grilled cheese croutons while the soup is simmering and you've got dinner ready.
Carrot Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 large leeks white and light green parts sliced
- 5 cups diced carrots about 10 large carrots
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- fresh tarragon or thyme for garnish
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 slices GO VEGGIE Mozzarella Slices
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, leeks, carrots, and garlic, season with salt, and cook about 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Puree with an immersion blender or in a blender.
Make the grilled cheese croutons:
- Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil.
- Place two mozzarella slices each on two slices of bread, then top each piece with remaining bread to make two sandwiches.
- Heat cast iron skillet (or any kind of skillet will work) over medium heat.
- Cook sandwiches 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden and cheese has melted.
- Let cool slightly, then cut into crouton-sized pieces.
- Top each bowl of soup with croutons and fresh herbs.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
This post is sponsored by GO VEGGIE, but all opinion and recipe are my own!
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