Chilled Tomato Soup With Spinach Coulis Recipes

Steps:

• For the tomato soup:.
• Cut the tomatoes into 2- to 3-inch chunks. Finely puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, salt, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Push the puree through a food mill fitted with the fine screen, then add enough Tabasco to the soup to suit your taste. (You should have about 6 cups of soup.) Refrigerate until cool.
• For the spinach coulis:.
• Pick out and discard any damaged leaves and seal the leaves in a plastic bag. Place the bag in a microwave onion and microwave the spinach on high for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Transfer the spinach to a blender. Add the oil, salt, and water and process for about 1 minute, stopping the machine once or twice to push any pieces of spinach clinging to the sides down into the mixture. When it's smooth, transfer the spinach puree to a bottle or jar, cover tightly, and refrigerate.
• To serve, ladle out about 1 1/2 cups soup per person. Garnish each bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons of spinach coulis.
• Note: The spinach coulis can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated.

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium, add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato juice, basil sprigs and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add 3 cups bread cubes and return the soup to a simmer. Cook, mashing the bread with a wooden spoon, until broken down, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard the basil sprigs. Stir in the vinegar. Working in two batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, adding 2 tablespoons olive oil per batch. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the remaining 2 cups bread cubes; cook, tossing, until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Season the soup with salt; top with the croutons and chopped basil.

Steps:

• To make the soup:
• In a food processor purée the tomatoes and force the purée through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids. In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and the broth and stir the mixture into the tomato purée. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice, the sugar, the whole basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the soup cool and chill it, covered, for at least 8 hours. The soup may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.
• Discard the whole basil leaves, ladle the soup into 6 bowls, and garnish each serving with a dollop of the sour cream and some of the chopped basil. Drizzle the soup with the oil and serve it with the toasts.
• To make the garlic baguette toasts:
• In a small skillet cook the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it begins to turn golden, brush the bread wedges with the oil, and on a baking sheet bake them in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 10 minutes, or until they are golden. Sprinkle the toasts with the salt and break them in half. Makes 12 toasts.

Steps:

• Put tomatoes and garlic in a non-reactive bowl and sprinkle with salt. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, the black pepper and cayenne. Mix well and leave to macerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour.
• Pulse tomatoes in a food processor or blender until just crushed. Transfer to a strainer or food mill to remove skins and seeds, pressing well to obtain all the juices. You should have about 5 cups. Add enough ice water to yield 6 cups. Stir well, taste and adjust seasoning. Chill on a bowl of ice for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to several hours.
• Make the pepper relish about 30 minutes before serving: Put diced bell peppers and onions in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, mix well and set aside.
• To serve, rub each toast lightly with garlic. Top toasts with thick slices of avocado and season with salt and pepper. Place an avocado toast in each bowl and ladle in about 1 cup of chilled soup per serving. Garnish with a generous spoonful of pepper relish and a sprinkling of parsley and chives.