Sicilian Lentil Soup with Grilled Cheese, Prosciutto & Arugula

Warmth and Salt, Slowly Earned

There is something deeply satisfying about a meal that works in two registers at once — the quiet, patient simmer of a lentil soup and the crisp, golden weight of a sandwich built with care. This is that kind of meal. The soup asks little of you; it wants only time and a gentle stir. The sandwich, meanwhile, rewards a slower hand — butter in a cast iron pan, bread allowed to toast properly, layers assembled without rush. Together, they make the case that lunch, on the right afternoon, can feel like a small ceremony.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 package Alessi Sicilian Lentil Soup
• 1/8 cups mayonaise
• 1/4 teaspoons Alessi Garlic Puree
• Alessi Sea Salt and Black Peppercorns, to taste
• juice of one lemon wedge
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small loaf sourdough bread, sliced
• 3-4 ounces Prosciutto di Parma, sliced thin
• 2 slices buffalo mozzarella
• handful of arugula, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, bring 4 ½ cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Once boiling, stir in Alessi Sicilian Lentil Soup mix.
3. Cook soup on medium heat uncovered for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, combine mayo, garlic puree, sea salt, black pepper and lemon juice in a small bowl.
5. Whisk and season to taste.
6. In a cast iron pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
7. Add two slices of bread, face down and toast until golden.
8. Flip over and cook on other side of bread.
9. Remove from heat and smear seasoned mayo on the inside of both pieces of bread.
10. Build the sandwich by layering prosciutto, mozzarella and arugula in between slices of toasted focaccia.
11. When ready, ladle the soup into a bowl and serve with the sandwich. Mangia!