Cold Gazpacho Soup

6-8 medium fresh tomatoes- use tomatoes with flavor, fresh summer or tomatoes on the vine

2½  cups bottled tomato juice

1 medium cucumber, no need to peel

½ medium red pepper

¼ cup basil leaves, not packed

2 Tbsp parsley leaves, not packed

2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, not packed

½ fresh jalapeno de-seeded

1 med clove garlic

½ medium vidalia onion or ½ bunch scallions or ½ cup chives torn

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar

Juice of 1 fresh lemon

2 tsp honey

More tomato juice, or water, if desired

Makes about 2 quarts or 8 servings

1. Place tomatoes, cucumbers, red pepper, and herbs into food processor in batches, adding tomato juice as needed for processing. 

2. Pulse until chopped fine or pureed, as desired. 

3. Pour mixture into a bowl and continue to process the rest of the vegetables.

4. Place jalapeno, garlic, onion, and tomato juice as needed to puree to a thick liquid. 

5. Add salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and honey.

6. Taste for seasoning.

7. Let the soup sit in the refrigerator for at least three hours so that flavors can blend. 

8. Once the soup sits, you can add more spice, salt, more tomato juice, water, or chopped vegetables to the mixture.

Nice additions or substitutions:

· Add 2 cups of freshly picked, lightly cooked kernels of corn in season. It is not recommended to puree the corn,  but you can (Frozen corn would be ok too)

· 1 stalk of celery- it is strong so only one stalk would be good

· Add 1 cup of spinach, kale, or other green leafy vegetable

· 1 cup shredded carrots

or any other vegetable you have on hand!