Carrot Ginger Soup and Pear Taleggio Panini

This week, I had Tuesday off for Veteran's Day, so I took the day to make a festive dinner for three. On the menu:

Carrot Ginger Soup
Pear-Taleggio Panini (inspired by Giada deLaurentis of FoodTV)

The soup was quite gingerific, and it seemed to overpower the delicate flavors of the panini. Separate, both recipes were fantastic. Together, not so much. I will definitely try a soup and panini combination again, and I will most certainly be using immersion blenders this winter to make creamy, healthy soups!

Recipes:

Carrot-Ginger Soup
(serves 4)

2 tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 inch piece of ginger, chopped
20 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 c. vegetable broth
White Pepper, to taste
Plain yogurt and chives for garnish

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot. Saute onion, garlic, and ginger until fragrant and softened. Add carrots and saute 10-15 minutes, stirring occassionally, until slightly softened. Add broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree with immersion blender to desired consistency. Season to taste with white pepper.

Plate and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and chives.

Note: This soup only gets better after a day or two in the fridge!

Pear-Taleggio Panini
(serves 4)

1 loaf ciabatta
drizzle of olive oil
1 pear, thinly sliced
8 oz. taleggio cheese
spinach or arugula

Preheat large cast iron grill pan. Slice lengthwise the loaf of ciabatta, then slice into 4 equal sandwich portions. Drizzle interior with olive oil and grill until just browned. Assemble panini -- taleggio, pear, spinach/arugula, and place whole on grill pan. Weight with extra pan and press. Turn after 5 minutes or when grill marks appear on outside of ciabatta. Repeat on the other side and viola!