1. Preheat your oven to 150°C / 300°F. Wash the tomatoes and bell peppers, then dry them well. Get a large baking dish ready. Quarter the tomatoes, remove the seeds from the bell peppers, and roughly chop them. Peel the carrots and cut them into large chunks too. Peel the shallots and garlic. Now, put everything in the baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle some salt over the veggies. Toss them to coat evenly, then place the baking dish in the oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, increase the temperature to 210°C / 410°F and roast for another 15 minutes.
2. While the veggies are roasting, you can prepare the caramelized onions for the grilled cheese sandwiches. Peel the onions and slice them thinly. Add 1 teaspoon of butter to a large pan and let it melt. Add the onion slices, sprinkle a bit of salt on top, and cook on low heat, stirring regularly for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Now, peel the onions for the soup base and cut them roughly. Set them aside. Pick the basil leaves from their stems, wash them, and dry them well. Set them aside too.
4. After 10-15 minutes, the onions in the pan will have left some fond (browned bits) at the bottom. This is the time to add another teaspoon of butter and cook the onions for another 10-15 minutes. Once the onions are soft and golden brown, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the caramalized onions to a bowl and set the pan back on the stove to make the soup base.
5. Add another teaspoon of butter to the pan and sauté the roughly chopped onions over medium heat. After a few minutes, add the chili flakes and stir well. After a few more minutes, stir in the tomato paste so that all the onions are coated evenly. Let it cook for a few minutes. Then, deglaze with the red wine and let it simmer until it reduces to a thick, creamy paste. Set the pan aside.
6. Grab a large pot and transfer the roasted vegetables (along with any juices) into it once they’re done. Add the soup base from the pan, the vegetable broth, and the basil leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend everything until you reach the desired consistency. Finally, stir in the cream. Season the soup with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Keep the soup on low heat and bring it to a simmer.
7. Meanwhile, make the grilled cheese sandwiches. Heat a pan over low-medium heat. While the pan heats up, spread a thin layer of butter on the outside of each slice of bread. Grate the cheese. Place half of the buttered bread (butter side down) in the pan, then evenly distribute the cheese and caramelized onions on top. Cover the pan with a lid and wait for the cheese to start melting. Once it does, place the remaining slices of bread (butter side up) on top. Use a spatula to flip the sandwiches so they can brown on the other side.
8. While the sandwiches are finishing, ladle the soup into bowls and optionally garnish with a drizzle of walnut oil, some cream, and fresh basil. Once the other side of the grilled cheese is crispy, take them out of the pan and cut them however you like – halves, triangles, strips, or small squares – depending on how you prefer them with your soup.

PREPARATIONS

• Here’s the recipe for cinnamon oil. You’ll need about 4-6 teaspoons for this recipe. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of making the cinnamon oil, you can just add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the soup.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, we’ll prepare the soup. Heat some olive oil in a large pot. In the meantime, peel the onion and roughly chop it. Once the olive oil is hot, add the onion pieces and sauté on medium heat until soft.
2. While that’s cooking, halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into large chunks and add to the onions. Peel the garlic and ginger and grate them directly into the pot with the pumpkin. Let everything roast for about 10 minutes, then pour in the vegetable broth. Put the lid on and let it simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is very soft.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto. Toast the walnuts in a small pan without any added oil until golden brown. While the walnuts are toasting, finely grate the Parmesan and then add both to a food processor. In the same pan, heat a little olive oil and fry the sage leaves. Let the fried sage drain on a paper towel until crispy, then add it to the food processor as well. Peel the garlic clove and add it to the mix. Add lemon juice and, with the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
4. For the grilled cheese sandwiches, grate the cheddar and press the mozzarella well in paper towels, then slice it thinly. Set aside.
5. Once the pumpkin is soft, remove the pot from the heat and use a hand blender to purée everything. Add the coconut milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Put the pot back on the stove and keep it warm on the lowest heat with the lid on.
6. Now, spread a thin layer of butter on the bread slices and place them butter-side down in a large pan. Spread 2 teaspoons of walnut-sage pesto on each slice. Distribute the cheese evenly on top of the pesto. Cook on low heat with the lid on for a few minutes until the cheese starts to melt. Once the bread is golden brown on the bottom, place another slice of bread, butter-side up, on top of the cheese and flip the sandwich. Cook for a few more minutes until the second side is golden brown as well.
7. Serve the soup in deep bowls, topping it with cinnamon oil, cress, and chives. Cut the grilled cheese sandwiches into small squares and place them in the soup, or slice them into strips and serve them on the side.

1. In a tall container, briefly stir together the yeast mixture ingredients: lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar, then let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and sugar. Add the yeast-water-sugar mixture and stir until just combined.
3. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead by hand until it barely sticks anymore.
4. Shape the dough into 8 balls of 180g / 6oz each for large bagels or 12 balls of 120g / 4oz each for smaller bagels. Let them rest under a damp cloth for about 20 minutes.
5. Poke a hole in the center of each dough ball with your finger and form a bagel by stretching the dough evenly.
6. Place the bagels on parchment paper and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Bring water to a simmer in a large pot and dissolve the brown sugar in it. Simmer each bagel for 1 minute on each side.
8. Remove the bagels from the water and dip them in your favorite toppings or leave them plain. I like using poppy seeds, sesame seeds, everything but the bagel seasoning, or jalapenos and cheddar cheese.
9. Once all bagels are topped, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes depending on their size.
10. Remove the baking sheet and enjoy the bagels 🙂