Grilled Tomato Stoup with Prosciutto and Mozzarella Portobellos

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 450°F.

   Step 2

   Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan on high.

   Step 3

   Place the portobello mushrooms on a baking sheet. Season both sides with salt and pepper and arrange the mushrooms gill side up. Drizzle the gill sides with a little EVOO. Put them in the oven and roast for 12 minutes, or until cooked through.

   Step 4

   While the mushrooms are roasting, start the soup. Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of EVOO (twice around the pan). Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and thyme sprigs. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken stock and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer the stoup for 10 minutes.

   Step 5

   Drizzle EVOO over the plum tomatoes and season them with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and char on all sides, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the slice of bread with a little EVOO, place on the grill, and cook until well marked on both sides, 2 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and bread slice from the grill and roughly chop. Add them to a blender with about one fourth of the simmering broth. Purée for about 1 minute. Add the tomato-bread purée to the simmering soup and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

   Step 6

   Once the mushrooms are cooked, top each one with a slice of prosciutto and a slice of mozzarella. Return the mushrooms to the oven to melt the cheese, about 2 minutes.

   Step 7

   To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with about a tablespoon of pesto. Serve the prosciutto- and cheese-topped mushrooms alongside.