Prep TIme: 15-20 minutes plus 30 minutes for chillingCook Time: No Cook RecipeServes: Makes approximately 8 cups. 8 luncheon or 16 appetizer servingsCalories: approximately 70 per 1 cup serving
1large English cucumber, peeled, and seeded if necessary, cut into 1/2″ slices
1large red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, and cut into wedges
2poundsof ripe red tomatoes cut into wedges or 2 (14.5 ounce cans) Hunts No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes or 1 (28 ounce can) Hunts No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
1/2large red or white sweet onion, quartered
1clove garlic
3-4Tablespoonsred wine or sherry vinegar, to taste
1TablespoonOSA Gourmet Snake Bite Datil Pepper Hot Sauce
2Tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lime juice
1cupV8 Cocktail Juice or tomato juice (I use the no added sodium versions)
2TablespoonsExtra Virgin Olive oil, plus more for drizzling over soup if desired
Quartered cherry tomatoes, diced bell pepper, and diced cucumber for garnish
Torn fresh herbs for garnish, basil, chives, cilantro or green onions are all good
Freshly toasted croutons, if desired
Fresh lime wedges, if desired
Instructions
In food processor, using the blade attachment, or in a high-speed blender, add cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, vinegar, OSA Gourmet Datil Zest, OSA Gourmet Snake Bite Datil Pepper Hot Sauce and half of the tomatoes. Blend until smooth.
Transfer the blended mixture to a large mixing bowl.
In the food processor or blender, add the rest of the tomatoes, the V8 or tomato juice and olive oil. Blend until smooth, then pour into the large mixing bowl with the rest of the blended ingredients.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap or place in large covered container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more to allow the flavors to meld.
Garnish with diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, quartered cherry tomatoes and/or fresh herbs right before serving.
Squeeze a fresh lime wedge over each bowl of soup if desired
Notes
**Unless you have a restaurant-sized food processor as I do, you don’t want to overfill the bowl of the food processor or blender. Otherwise, you will have a huge tomato mess all over yourself and your kitchen. Work in batches as I suggest in steps 1 and 3. Trust me on this one! Cleaning up tomato goop off of your cabinets, and the floor is bad enough, but getting it out of your clothes and hair is even worse.I hope you love this cool summer soup as much as I do.