Tomato Soup Shots with Herb and Lemon Zest Mozzarella Mini-Sandwiches

What makes it special?

Two things that make this dish a notch above – the heirloom tomatoes as the base of the soup and the house marinated mozzarella that makes up the gooey center of the sandwich. And the presentation. I highly recommend the soup shot route as it’s a fun and playful way to present a classic. Adults love a good ol’ nostalgic dish at a dinner party if there is one dish everyone I know associates with childhood it’s tomato soup and grilled cheese.

In terms of ingredients, you don’t need to buy the most expensive mozzarella out there. Just your standard mozzarella is fine because you are going to add all the flavor to it yourself. We’ll get to that in a sec. But the tomatoes are important so obviously this soup is best in the summer when heirlooms are in season. I try to get mine from a local farmer or friend when possible. They come in a so many shapes and sizes. Pick a variety for more flavor but mostly red and yellow to achieve that beautiful orangish-red soup. You only need maybe 2 medium to large tomatoes for this recipe.

Farm fresh Heirloom Tomatoes

Mozzarella Cheese

Presentation:

Which shot glasses to buy? That is the question. You’ll need a 3-ounce shot glass, at a minimum, for this dish or there just won’t be enough soup to be able to taste it. In the featured recipe picture, I am using these from Cost Plus World Market that comes in a package of 6. I like using this for an all-appetizer party where everything is bitesize.

But I actually like a little bit of a wider base that allows a larger portion size if you have a smaller group, or this dish is more of a first course. Like this one from Sur La Table which is multifunctional for other recipes as well.

And my final favorite find for presentation is this 3-oz shot glass from Crate & Barrel. I like that it’s taller, so more elegant, and again multi-purpose.

Recipe Ingredients:

Tomato Soup

• 1lb heirloom tomatoes; core removed and cut in half
• ½ cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup water
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Yields approximately 2 1/2 cups

Marinated Mozzarella

• 6 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced (or you can buy already marinated Mozzarella and skip this step)
• ¼-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon zested
• 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence (or dried basil and oregano)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

• 4 slices sourdough bread from a pre-sliced round loaf
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 oz marinated mozzarella cheese (herbs and spices), cut into slices
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves for garnish
• 8-10 skewers

(Serves 6-10 as an appetizer)

Method:

Marinate Mozzarella

1. Combine the mozzarella and lemon zest, herbs, & pepper flakes in a medium bowl and gently fold in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Cover and refrigerate until 30 minutes prior to assembling sandwiches.

Make Tomato Soup

1. Heat a large heavy bottomed, non-reactive pot over medium heat and add the butter.  When the butter is melted add in the onion and garlic. Sautee mixture for 30 seconds, add the tomatoes cut side down in an even layer.  Let cook for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes break down and their liquid is released.
2. Add the wine, tomato paste, sugar, red pepper flakes, water and salt and pepper.  Simmer for another 15 minutes, until cooked down and thickened, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.  Cool slightly.
3. Add mixture to a blender, along with 3-4 fresh basil leaves, and parmesan cheese and puree until smooth.  With the blender off stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if desired. Reheat on stove top on a low simmer before serving. Cover and refrigerate if made in advance.

Grill & Assemble Sandwiches

1. Butter one side on each of the slices of sourdough bread. 
2. Heat a cast iron or heavy pan over medium-to-medium low heat. 
3. Layer the unbuttered side of the bread with the mozzarella and top with the other slice of bread, butter side up. 
4. Grill until golden brown on each side.  Low and slow is better so that your cheese has a chance to melt before the outside gets too browned.
5. Cut into squares, remove crusts if desired, and lay a fresh piece of basil on top of each square and secure with a skewer.

Notes:

• *The mozzarella can be marinated and refrigerated several days ahead. It melts better if you take it out of the fridge in advance. You may have extra depending on how many you are serving but this cheese is great on so many things like pastas and salads.

• Tomato soup can be made several days in advance as well. Gently reheat on the stove top before serving. If you cannot find heirloom tomatoes, you can make the same recipe with vine ripened or hot house.