This recipe is seriously amazing, and we can't stop making it. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we're showered in an abundance of tomatoes, and this soup really lets them shine. We adapted a recipe from The America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook to incorporate some of our favorite kitchen essentials - oil and vinegar! Of course, Apple State Vinegar is a juicy, bold addition to the recipe that adds probiotics and prebiotics for optimum digestion. Paired with Calivirgin olive oil - made by a family business in California - this simple soup is taken to a whole new level of delicious.
2 tablespoons finely minced parley, chives, or basil leaves
Ground black pepper
1 medium green bell pepper, halved, cored, and seeded
Directions
Roughly chop 2 lbs of the tomatoes, half the cucumber, half the bell pepper, and half the onion and place in a bowl. Add garlic, chile, and 1.5 tsp salt. Toss until well combined.
Cut the rest of the tomatoes, cucumbers, and pepper into a 1/4-inch dice; place the vegetables in another bowl. Add the garlic, chile, and 1.5 tsp salt and transfer to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Set aside for an hour.
Transfer the drained diced veggies to a medium bowl and set aside. Add the bread pieces to the exuded liquid and soak for 1 minute. Add the soaked bread and any remaining liquid to the roughly chopped vegetables and toss thoroughly to combine.
Transfer half of the veggie-bread mixture to a blender and process for 30 seconds. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of the oil and continue to blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, using the back of a ladle or rubber spatula to press the soup through the strainer. Repeat with the remaining veggie-bread mixture and 1/4 cup more olive oil
Stir the vinegar, parsley, and half of the diced vegetables into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to chill completely and develop the flavors. Serve, passing the remaining diced vegetables, olive oil, vinegar, and pepper seaprately.
Recipe Note
Add some garlicky croutons to make this even more delicious.
