Zucchini Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese

This soup is a great way to get your greens in the winter months! Cooked zucchini has a really creamy texture once it’s blended, so you can skip out on the loads of actual cream, but still have that hearty taste. The fresh basil gives it some bright notes, and a reminder that warmer weather is on the way. Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich for a fun, kid-friendly meal all winter long. This dish really is a favorite in our house all winter long.

Zucchini Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cooking Time: 20 minutes    Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
5 medium zucchini, ends off and roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, small dice
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
⅔ cup fresh basil, packed and roughly chopped
20-24 oz chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream (OPTIONAL! I didn’t use any)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the Grilled Cheese:
8 slices white or multigrain bread, lightly toasted
16 slices sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
8 slices swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1 head of turnip greens, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. To make the soup, heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the zucchini, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions start to become translucent. Add the basil and cook another 3 minutes.

2. Add the chicken stock to the pot, cover, and cook for 15 minutes on a low simmer. After the soup has finished cooking, pour it into a blender. Carefully blend until the soup is completely smooth. You may decide after blending to add a little more chicken stock, or the heavy cream, to really smooth it out. Transfer back to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep on low heat while you make the grilled cheese.

3. Heat a large cast iron pan on medium-high. Spray with cooking spray and lightly saute the turnip greens until they just start to wilt, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.

4. Assemble the grilled cheese by layering cheeses, turnip greens, and another slice of cheese onto each of the four sandwiches. Spray the cast iron again with cooking spray and cook the sandwiches for 3 minutes per side, or until the cheese is nice and melty. Serve each with a big bowl of soup.