Happy Meatless Monday! Are you short on time? Do you want a meal that you can make in about twenty-five minutes? Do you also want it to have fewer than five ingredients? If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, then you may want to try this roasted tomato bread soup with a white bean salad. Why a soup? It’s perfect comfort food for a rainy, overcast summer day plus produce tastes best in the summer. These recipes come from Claire Robinson of the Food Network show 5 Ingredient Fix. Both recipes have five ingredients because you never count salt and pepper. Both dishes are family friendly as they are fresh and have great texture.

Roasted Tomato-Bread Soup Ingredients
1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered and seeded
3 tablespoons garlic-infused extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves, plus more leaves for garnish
1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 loaf sourdough baguette (day-old) or 1/4 loaf country bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

White Bean Salad Ingredients
1 red bell pepper
1 (15-ounce) jar stewed cannellini beans, drained
2 large heads Belgian endive (red or green or a combination), trimmed and thinly sliced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons garlic-flavored olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roasted Tomato-Bread Soup Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until the tomatoes are softened and the edges are beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the garlic oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the basil and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice and the water; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the bread and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the oven-roasted tomatoes and any cooking juices into the saucepan and simmer for another 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjusting if necessary, and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of garlic olive oil and basil leaves.

White Bean Salad Directions
Roast the bell pepper until charred (either over a gas flame, grill or broiler). Peel, stem, seed and chop into a bean-size dice. Put the beans, red peppers, endive and lemon zest into a serving bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice and drizzle with the garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss the ingredients until well-combined and coated in dressing. Serve as a yummy chopped salad or as a dip with more endive leaves.

The roasted tomato-bread soup will serve four to six; and the white bean salad will serve four; both can be adjusted as needed. Roasted tomato-bread soup and white bean salad combine for a perfect light, summer vegetarian meal that will work well as the main offering for your next Meatless Monday lunch or dinner. If you are serving these dishes as the main course for dinner, you may want to accompany it with a side salad with either a balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing. Enjoy!

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