Juicy BLT or soup? Either way, it's tomatoes at their best
Who doesn't like a classic BLT, especially at summer's end when the tomatoes are at their juicy peak?
Loaded with crispy bacon, crunchy lettuce, a dollop of mayo and the tomatoes mentioned above, a well-made BLT is one of life's great pleasures.
Heck, I'm a vegetarian, and I even need to concoct my version of this sandwich favorite with a bit of soy bacon. (Not quite the same, I know).
So why not try this delectable treat in a bowl with this BLT soup? Genius, I say!
This recipe calls for roasting the tomatoes with onions, garlic and some fresh oregano to bring out all the natural goodness and depth of flavor. The rich tomato flavor is bolstered by a pinch of sugar and red pepper flakes with a splash of red wine vinegar. This soup is worth trying, even if you don't want to go the BLT route with the garnishes.
The garnishes, of course, take it to a new level with garlic-flavored mayonnaise, crumbled bacon, croutons and a handful of peppery arugula leaves.
Of course, you can make your own croutons for this, but I went with good quality store-bought. A loaf of sourdough bread will be a great choice if you decide to make your own.
I also found the crumbled imitation bacon bits to be a fine alternative for the non-bacon eaters, adding that salty, fatty crunch.
In my world, everyone - even vegetarians - need a little BLT in their lives.
• M. Eileen Brown is the Daily Herald's vice president of sales and marketing and an incurable soup-a-holic. She specializes in vegetarian soups and blogs at soupalooza.com/.