Fire Roasted Tomato Soup with Crostini Skewers

Preheat your grill to 350ºF. Create direct and indirect heating zones (the tomatoes will be grilled direct, crostini indirect). Slice your tomatoes in half and drizzle them with a little olive oil.

Grill the tomatoes until they form a nice char on both sides. This will take approximately 15 minutes (give or take), depending on your grill. You can also roast your tomatoes under the broiler for the same amount of time. Once your tomatoes are nice and charred, put them in a deep sauce pot and put them on the stove. Using an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes together. Next, add the chicken stock and remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Place the pot on low-medium heat so the soup will be stay warm for serving.

For the crostini skewers:

Take a baquette and make 1/2 inch or smaller slices. Coat them in olive oil on both sides. Grill the crostini on indirect heat until toasted, about 2 minutes each side. Remove from grill and layer crostini, cheese, meat, peppers, and arugula and repeat, sandwiching a crostini on each each. Stick a skewer in through the middle to keep the pieces together. Serve with the soup for a sassy presentation that is perfect for dipping in the soup!