BLT Soup

I made this soup tonight for some friends and it was a big hit. The cool crunch of the romaine and bread crumbs pair perfectly with the smoky, bacon in this tomato soup.

1 sourdough baguette
1 C. Italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 head romaine lettuce
3 tbs. pesto
1 C. sour cream
8 oz chicken stock
48 oz. pureed tomatoes with juice
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 C. grated Parmesan
3/4 lb. bacon- save drippings
black pepper

Cut bacon into 1" pieces and cook in a pan on medium high heat, stirring frequently until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and cool on a few paper towels. Save drippings in pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400. Slice baguette into 1" slices and brush with drippings. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in oven until crisp, about 4 minutes.

Combine 1/2 C. sour cream with pesto and place in a squeeze bottle if you have one. Thinly slice romaine lettuce and set aside.

Add bread crumbs to a small pan with 2 Tbs. bacon drippings and garlic salt. Toast over medium heat until crumbs begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Cool and set aside in a bowl.

Combine chicken stock, bacon drippings, pureed tomatoes and Italian seasoning in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Stir to combine and add crumbled bacon pieces. Cook for 5-6 minutes, add sour cream and Parmesan, stir to combine and process with an immersion blender until smooth. Season to taste and add pepper. Continue cooking, covered on medium low heat until ready to eat.

Ladle soup in a bowl, add a spoonful of breadcrumbs, a large pinch of shredded romaine and a squeeze of the pesto aioli. Add a sourdough round to the side of the soup and serve.