This is the first day where it feels like fall here. Its gray and rainy and even a little dreary- just a sign of what us Seattleites have to look forward to until around mid-June of next year. Seriously.

It is also Coco’s first day of school for the year (well, it’s 2 hours twice a week, but still…) Hilarious!! Her backpack is almost as big as she is.

I thought that this soup would be perfect for a blustery fall school night dinner. I still have enough late summer tomatoes coming out of the garden to make this soup, but the fact that I am tuning into a steaming pt of soup verses, say, a fresh caprese salad, means that the seasons are changing.

Truth be told, I was originally going to make French Onion Soup. Then I realized that I just haaad to use up all these tomatoes I have. But I still really wanted the good part of the French Onion Soup: obviously the toast and cheese. So I made a tomato/basil/mozzarella version.

And it’s ooey-gooey-melty-cheezy-good.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lay the slices of baguette on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toast the baguette slice for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.

While the baguette slices are toasting, prepare the fast pesto. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the garlic, basil leaves, olive oil and lemon juice.

Transfer to a bowl and fold in the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with kosher salt.

Set the oven to broil and fill 4 oven proof bowls with Tomato Basil Soup.

Generously spread the 8 baguette slices with the pesto.

Place two on the top of each bowl of soup.

Place 2 ounces of fresh mozzarella on the top of the baguette and pesto. Drizzle the top of the cheese with a little olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and black pepper

Broil the soup for 5 minutes or until the top of the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Serve hot.