Soup for Summer

I have always said that if I were to eat one meal for the rest of my life, it would be a variation of soup (yes, I do think I could create a chocolate soup). I love to eat soup, I love to make soup, I love to come home smelling the aromas of soup, I just simply love soup! The problem is, when a day like yesterday rolls around (nearly 92 degrees), nothing except an iceberg seems appetizing. That's when I thought of the yummy stuff I tasted from here when I was here. Gazpacho soup is the perfect varieties of flavors for a hot, hot day and the chilled temperature make it comfortable to enjoy under the summer sun. So I decided to browse my favorite cookbooks, this and this, to see if I could whip up my own homemade Gazpacho for Memorial Day. Turns out Miss Mollie Katzen had exactly what I was looking for.

Ingredients

4 cups cold tomato juice (I use V8 juice)
1/2 cup finely minced onion
2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
1 medium bell pepper, minced
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1 medium, seedless and peeled cucumber, diced
2 scallions, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon each of dried tarragon and basil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt, black pepper, and cayenne- to taste

Combine all ingredients into food processor and puree. Chill until very cold. 

I like to top with a dash of sour cream, a few diced tomatoes, and fresh parsley. Then serve with a fresh baguette or some Stacy's pita chips! 

Enjoy summer soup-ers!