From Chef Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering
Makes about 4 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 12 oz. can of regular V8 juice
- ½ lb. ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped small, retaining seeds and juices for the soup
- ½ of an English/European cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into small pieces. (I don’t deseed. If you do deseed, then you will need more cucumber.)
- 2 Tbsp. green of green onions (spring onions, scallions), finely sliced
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ of a ripe red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- ¼ of a ripe yellow bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- ½ cup (about 1 small ear) corn (Tip: If you can grill a fresh ear of corn and then cut off niblets, do that.)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely crushed (optional)
- ½ to 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. white Balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water, more if needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp. fresh basil finely chopped (optional)
- Several sprigs of fresh lemon thyme, leaves pulled off stems (optional)
- 1 ripe avocado, halved, stone removed, cut into thin slices (for garnish)
- Small cooked salad shrimp (for garnish)
Directions:
- Put everything except for avocado and shrimp into 6-8 cup mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to suit your preferences.
- Serve each bowl of chilled soup with a garnish of cooked salad shrimp and sliced avocado as the photo shows. You could also put crab meat on top instead (be careful with imitation crab meat; it may contain gluten). Some cooked asparagus tips.
Tips from Chef Oonagh:
- Remove the soup from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before serving.
- Quantities aren’t set in stone. It all depends on your preference. One essential, though, is ripe tomatoes. You won’t get the same outcome if the tomatoes aren’t very ripe.
- For variety, throw in some seafood, olives, herbs, nuts, grapes, ham, celery, carrots, white beans or chickpeas.