3 stalks of celery (keep the leafy tops for an optional garnish)
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 32 oz box of chicken stock (or veggie stock to make this vegetarian)
2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
6 slices of whole wheat bread
3 slices of cheddar cheese
Instructions
Turn your oven on broil and place your peppers on a baking sheet
Place in the oven on the rack closest to the top
Let the skin of the peppers get black and charred
Once once side is charred, take the peppers out and turn them and place them back in the oven
Continue this process until all sides of the peppers are dark and charred
It will take about 15-20 minutes
Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium high heat with a little olive oil
Dice your onion and celery, peel and chop your carrots, and add it all to the pot with the oil
Cook the veggies until they are slightly softened and the onions are translucent, about 5 or so minutes
Chop your garlic, and add it into the pot. Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute
Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper
Stir together
Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer
Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes
When the peppers are charred on every side, remove them from the pan and place in a bowl
cover the bowl tightly in saran wrap
Let the peppers steam for 5-10 minutes
Take them from the bowl and remove the skin. I used a knife to help me scrape the skin off since the peppers were still hot. The skin should come off easily
Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and set aside
Once the soup has been simmering for 15 minutes, remove from heat, add the peppers, and puree using an immersion blender
If you don’t have an immersion blender (or stick blender), you can use a regular blender or a food processor
Puree the soup until it is smooth
Add the Greek yogurt and whisk together. If you are using an immersion blender, I would use that to incorporate the yogurt into the soup
For the grilled cheese croutons:
One grilled cheese sandwich will make 6 croutons, which should be enough for 2 bowls of soup
For each grilled cheese sandwich, melt a little bit of butter in a skillet
Between two slices of whole wheat bread, place one slice of cheddar cheese
Place the sandwich in the pan over medium heat and cook until each side is golden brown, and the cheese is melted
Slice the crust off all four sides, slice down the middle, and then slice each half into three squares, giving you six croutons per sandwich
Top each bowl of soup with three croutons and you are ready to serve!