Hummus and Feta Vegetable Sandwich with Cherry Tomato Soup

One of my favorite sandwiches is the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich from Panera Bread. If you haven’t had it, let me explain. It consists of fresh bread piled high with vegetables, but what makes it so tasty to me is the combination of hummus and feta cheese.

A few days ago, I decided to try to recreate something similar. I had made a batch of my Hummus with Almond Butter and had some feta on hand. I stopped in Great Harvest and picked up a loaf of Vienna bread, a crusty dark brown loaf on the outside with a soft and slightly chewy inside. Perfect for this sandwich.

I used up some of the vegetables I had on hand which this time around included carrots, cucumber and spinach. Red or green onion, lettuce or ripe tomato slices would be a fine addition as well.

I paired the sandwich with some easy tomato soup. The only tomatoes we have left in the freezer are yellow and red cherry tomatoes so I decided to give them a try. Almost all my tomato soups are now patterned after my favorite which is Simple Tomato Soup from A Good Appetite.

The cherry tomatoes worked well and added a sweet flavor to the soup. I did find that I needed to strain the soup after pureeing it though to remove any tough skins that didn’t cook down. After that, it was the ideal consistency and needed no garnish at all.

This is another picnic worthy combo that welcomes spring!

Hummus and Feta Vegetable Sandwich

4 slices fresh bread
½ cup hummus
¼ cup crumbled feta
1 carrot, peeled thinly sliced
½ small cucumber, thinly sliced
¾ cup baby spinach leaves

Evenly distribute the hummus over the four slices of bread and spread. Sprinkle the feta on two of the slices. On the other two slices pile on the carrot, spinach and cucumber. Press the vegetables into the hummus gently.

Top with the hummus and feta bread slices to make a sandwich. Serves 2.

Cherry Tomato Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups cherry tomatoes, thawed from frozen
½ cup onion, diced
1 red jalapeno, seeded and deveined, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

In a medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions and tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add the jalapeno and garlic. Cook, partially covered, for another 7 to 10 minutes or until the tomatoes burst and the onion is softened. The water from the defrosted tomatoes help to create a broth for the soup. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

Remove the soup from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree all ingredients until mostly smooth. Place a strainer or colander over a heat-proof bowl. Strain the soup to remove any tough skins and seeds.