Roasted Carrot Soup W/ Bacon Grilled Cheese Croutons

• For the soup:
• 8 large carrots, tops trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• For the croutons
• 1 pound thick cut pork bacon
• 6 slices of fresh part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 12 slices of multigrain gluten-free bread
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the carrots on the baking sheet and drizzle with evoo.
2. Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning the carrots halfway through the baking time so that they are lightly golden brown on both sides. You want the carrots to be tender, easily pierced with a fork.
3. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and drizzle with evoo. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the carrots & veggie broth. Turn the heat to low, and using an immersion blender, blend everything together to a smooth, creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. (You can also put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend if you don't have an immersion blender).
5. Let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve warm w/ croutons.
6. In a large non-stick skillet, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until lightly golden brown and crispy. Place the bacon on a paper-lined plate to drain.
7. Place 1 slice of mozzarella cheese on 1 slice of gluten-free bread, fold each piece of bacon in half and place on top of the mozzarella. Cover the bread with another slice of bread to make a sandwich.
8. Spread butter on both outer sides of the sandwich. Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat.
9. Put the sandwich in the skillet and grill on both sides until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
10. Place the sandwich on a cutting board, cut off the crust, and slice into thick strips lengthwise, then crosswise, forming small squares.
11. Place croutons over a bowl of the soup. Top with extra mozzarella and crumbled bacon if you dare!

carrots, extravirgin olive oil, yellow onion, garlic, vegetable broth, salt, croutons, pork bacon, mozzarella cheese, bread, unsalted butter

Taken from food52.com/recipes/23995-roasted-carrot-soup-w-bacon-grilled-cheese-croutons (may not work)