Categories: Meals
Ingredients
- Soup:
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 bulb fennel-trimmed, quartered, and cored, then very thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
- 1 large head escarole, cut into 1/2-inch-wide ribbons
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 qt. chicken stock
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Taleggio Panini:
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or pine nuts
- 1 tsp mild honey (such as acacia)
- 2 fat handfuls of baby arugula
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 8 slices of Italian bread
- 12 oz. Taleggio cheese, rind trimmed and cheese sliced
Directions
-
For the soup, in a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium to medium-high. Add the fennel, onion, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Add the Parm rind. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the escarole; season with a little nutmeg. Add the stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook at a low boil until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes.
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Discard the rind and add the lemon juice just before serving.
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For the panini, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the nuts, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle with the honey. Toss until coated. In a medium bowl, toss the arugula, lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
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Heat a sandwich press to 400 or high, or heat a cast-iron skillet over high. Build the sandwiches with the bread, cheese, nuts, and greens. If using a sandwich press, cook the sandwiches until the bread is golden or grill marks form and the cheese melts, about 3 minutes. If using a skillet, place a second heavy skillet on top of the sandwiches, or press down on the sandwiches with a spatula and turn over halfway through cooking. Cut the sandwiches in half. Serve with the soup.