Chorizo & Vegetable Cream Soup & Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Grilled Cheese

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvMgVs3HBbqqy-XErdbnqzYQMn7ele6JV1iE7IrLk9km0W1stD0cpsErmRdsu9oRvs0K5vxW6lTRyP61-WXvBwFNsopXsdjzTbsxk75QQ2VGXowh-Y1e0hppnBk7t1109XlSyx3so5qhi/s1600/IMG_9548.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvMgVs3HBbqqy-XErdbnqzYQMn7ele6JV1iE7IrLk9km0W1stD0cpsErmRdsu9oRvs0K5vxW6lTRyP61-WXvBwFNsopXsdjzTbsxk75QQ2VGXowh-Y1e0hppnBk7t1109XlSyx3so5qhi/s640/IMG_9548.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjennysteffens.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fchorizo-vegetable-cream-soup-fresh.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-gFEPu4Peick%2FUGHuKQCOvwI%2FAAAAAAAAMnM%2FzHxGEjymziU%2Fs640%2Fchorizo-soup.jpg&description=Chorizo%20%26%20Vegetable%20Cream%20Soup%20%7C%20Fresh%20Mozzarella%2C%20Tomato%20%26%20Basil%20Grilled%20Cheese"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a><br /><br />My most popular post of all time is "<a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/01/recipes-tomato-basil-soup-best-grilled.html">The Best Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup</a>."  I get serious traffic from it all year long.  But I've noticed a big upswing in traffic going to that post this past week... it must be soup season!  I decided to revisit my Best Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup recipes and (as the Barefoot Contessa would say) "turn up the volume." <br /><br />To the soup, I started with spicy chorizo and added carrots, onions and spinach along with canned whole peeled tomatoes to give it a little more nutritional value.  Did I mention the chorizo?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWnoD-aPiGIrDzoau2b0ZECftAVgZO7Cq7NJLjFx29qfQuLS6Bh2COaIl-hPHvxTtXVawnoSA7p4eqKtbRC5H_7WR5_lRtZb7I4514BnsUUInGOJqfT2n04bZ7sP_f8R5pr6j12XsnmZW/s1600/IMG_9539.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWnoD-aPiGIrDzoau2b0ZECftAVgZO7Cq7NJLjFx29qfQuLS6Bh2COaIl-hPHvxTtXVawnoSA7p4eqKtbRC5H_7WR5_lRtZb7I4514BnsUUInGOJqfT2n04bZ7sP_f8R5pr6j12XsnmZW/s640/IMG_9539.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjennysteffens.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fchorizo-vegetable-cream-soup-fresh.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-gFEPu4Peick%2FUGHuKQCOvwI%2FAAAAAAAAMnM%2FzHxGEjymziU%2Fs640%2Fchorizo-soup.jpg&description=Chorizo%20%26%20Vegetable%20Cream%20Soup%20%7C%20Fresh%20Mozzarella%2C%20Tomato%20%26%20Basil%20Grilled%20Cheese"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a> <br /><br />For the sandwich, I stuck with simple and fresh flavors - a fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.  All grilled together then, just as I do with toasted bread for bruschetta, I rubbed the toasted sandwich with a clove of garlic.  It does all the right things for a really simple and classic sandwich.  When you dip the grilled cheese in the hot soup, the mozzarella melts just a little more, making it gooey and delicious.   <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVTDS7azsts49O7M6eqvgcK5-d9D4U7s0k4CbSyHeeBIzwcknn3avXDfeJFCx-YTpRSX0lGWCC6qJdQMvdBXrNgBEZMSe-G0ivlx_J5Bpll6C2o0GivykLHxBZx9JZKLSI_hSZd_9lA22/s1600/IMG_9526.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVTDS7azsts49O7M6eqvgcK5-d9D4U7s0k4CbSyHeeBIzwcknn3avXDfeJFCx-YTpRSX0lGWCC6qJdQMvdBXrNgBEZMSe-G0ivlx_J5Bpll6C2o0GivykLHxBZx9JZKLSI_hSZd_9lA22/s640/IMG_9526.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEvB8LmFd0zkFfSrfX-TZVF73D_gqung4SkVhnGB1YfQPlMNCu5HSy1Yp5vkBgH2khqERONNC7fCPGr2flLDAAUf6Z_9KtQRb_RRT9OhOq2vDdPvgwDrOeU8jAZQTF-5WDSdCcYinaYYZ/s1600/chorizo-soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEvB8LmFd0zkFfSrfX-TZVF73D_gqung4SkVhnGB1YfQPlMNCu5HSy1Yp5vkBgH2khqERONNC7fCPGr2flLDAAUf6Z_9KtQRb_RRT9OhOq2vDdPvgwDrOeU8jAZQTF-5WDSdCcYinaYYZ/s640/chorizo-soup.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Chorizo & Vegetable Cream Soup | Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Grilled Cheese</span><br /><br /><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjennysteffens.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fchorizo-vegetable-cream-soup-fresh.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-gFEPu4Peick%2FUGHuKQCOvwI%2FAAAAAAAAMnM%2FzHxGEjymziU%2Fs640%2Fchorizo-soup.jpg&description=Chorizo%20%26%20Vegetable%20Cream%20Soup%20%7C%20Fresh%20Mozzarella%2C%20Tomato%20%26%20Basil%20Grilled%20Cheese"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a><br /><br />1 pound of chorizo sausage<br />3 carrots, diced<br />1 cup of mushrooms, sliced <br />1/2 small white onion, diced<br />4 cloves of garlic, diced <br />1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed with juice<br />4 cups of chicken broth<br />1/2 cup of cream<br />4 cups of fresh spinach<br /><br />fresh mozzarella<br />tomato, sliced<br />fresh basil<br />baguette, sliced<br />olive oil<br />1 clove of garlic, whole <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_jhRuams60AviG7fsToQlCiL2NpRbk2RJn4eH8lA7Gjo6DnN3lE1Pv1jOpGvlZLtUxFzbH2koDC5Y_t7BXOSWHNftdt1sIr6Dg_pR4cf0oT9ypNs8nqszef8j_IcYojHIEJZQQHaBklf/s1600/IMG_9521.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_jhRuams60AviG7fsToQlCiL2NpRbk2RJn4eH8lA7Gjo6DnN3lE1Pv1jOpGvlZLtUxFzbH2koDC5Y_t7BXOSWHNftdt1sIr6Dg_pR4cf0oT9ypNs8nqszef8j_IcYojHIEJZQQHaBklf/s640/IMG_9521.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Remove the sausage from its casing and break it up into small/medium pieces.  Cook it in a saute pan on a medium/high heat, rendering some of the fat.  Add the carrot, mushrooms and onion and cook until soft, approx 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes by squeezing them in one at a time.  Continue to break them into bite size pieces with the spoon.  Add the juice from the can of tomatoes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8On6yIzoJ3ShVXZlBLQYFHVzsLZOKu031dOJOZ51SWd4qKh2gmszqSmJ4Gr_4wAsnaySShY2XBmN8Z34xH1X3NYJ6XN4JpoolsYggdb9Ecv-H_9JEydrfdUcuX9EZwIQzIpHeO8cBDn0G/s1600/IMG_9524.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8On6yIzoJ3ShVXZlBLQYFHVzsLZOKu031dOJOZ51SWd4qKh2gmszqSmJ4Gr_4wAsnaySShY2XBmN8Z34xH1X3NYJ6XN4JpoolsYggdb9Ecv-H_9JEydrfdUcuX9EZwIQzIpHeO8cBDn0G/s640/IMG_9524.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br /><br />Add the chicken broth and cream.  Add spinach.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dEXdT4bXRxO-CRgf6lBq0R1w6zLTs6T38e9DsZgWwo7EeFuo3Y-oYPUEyOSaDwlsAIGwctv4BusT8KG0t0y-CjwCX_B5HmFeGMsR3b1ys1aKKwUIDBTX39iSAgiNXNeKu_FSQ3eN6Gyc/s1600/IMG_9551.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dEXdT4bXRxO-CRgf6lBq0R1w6zLTs6T38e9DsZgWwo7EeFuo3Y-oYPUEyOSaDwlsAIGwctv4BusT8KG0t0y-CjwCX_B5HmFeGMsR3b1ys1aKKwUIDBTX39iSAgiNXNeKu_FSQ3eN6Gyc/s640/IMG_9551.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Slice the baguette, pile with mozzarella, tomato and basil and top with a second piece of bread.  In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Cook sandwiches for 3-4 minutes just until they start to brown.  Flip and repeat.  Rub a raw clove of garlic on the crusty sides of bread.  

Chorizo & Vegetable Cream Soup & Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Grilled Cheese

My most popular post of all time is " The Best Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup ."  I get serious traffic from it all year long.  ...

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