Green Pea Soup with Cheddar Scallion Panini

This was a really refreshing pea soup. I'm not a fan of split pea soup, and this was nothing like it. The soup was rich and creamy and my children loved it! Each asked for seconds and when you're talking about pea soup, that is nigh unto a miracle, eh?

I will add that it made WAY more than 4 servings worth of soup. I ended up freezing about half of it. We'll be having it some time this week for a quick and yummy dinner.



Green Pea Soup with Cheddar-Scallion Panini
from Dinner Tonight

* 3 tablespoons butter
* 4 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
* 3 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen peas
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (6 ounces)
* 8 slices rye sandwich bread (I used a crusty french bread)
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add scallion whites, and cook, stirring, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add peas, broth, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until peas are tender, about 5 minutes; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, toss cheddar with scallion greens. Make 4 sandwiches with cheddar mixture and bread.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low. Place sandwiches in skillet, and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding remaining tablespoon butter to skillet to cook second side.
4. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth (filling blender only halfway to prevent spattering). If necessary, adjust consistency with a little bit of water. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Slice each panini into four "fingers," and serve with soup.