Meatless Monday | Summer Soup

Meatless Monday | Summer Soup
GAZPACHO ~ serves 8
Ingredients:
1 large lemon
1 1/2 c. cannelini beans
5 small tomatoes (or equivalent)
1 medium cucumber
1 medium white onion
1 medium green bell pepper
1 ear fresh corn
salt and pepper
tomato juice
fresh mint leaves

Directions:
Dice your tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper and corn. Put in a large bowl, reserving 1-1/2 cups. Puree the reserved vegetables and add to bowl. Add the beans and juice from the lemon. Season with salt and pepper and tear up just a few mint leaves. The idea with the mint at this point is to just add the subtlest hint of mint. The leaves don't hold up so well, though, so I get the bulk of my minty flavor when I garnish the soup right before serving it. Add tomato juice as needed to get a good amount of liquid. Make sure the soup is well mixed before placing in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours. During this time, the flavors will come out a bit more. Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if needed. Garnish with a few mint leaves in each bowl and enjoy.

I had gazpacho at two ladies lunches recently, The Mansion in May and The House and Garden Tour I went on last week. I think I like the addition of white beans in the recipe above. It's a perfect soup for summer when it's too hot to cook. Enjoy. Meatless Monday, learn more.




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