Not just a summertime meal, but really an all year winner for a light lunch or starter for dinner. Play around with it, add different chopped veggies as a garnish. Make it your own!INGREDIENTS
2 pounds diced crushed tomatoes (peeled, seedless), 1 small onion, 4 cucumbers, juice from 1 lemon, 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth, 10 large basil leaves, 3 cloves of garlic, croutons, salt & pepper to taste.DIRECTIONS
De-seed and chop 3 cucumbers into small squares and leave in a bowl on the side. Finely chop onions & garlic. Warm your saucepan, then add olive oil. Sweat onions until they become glassy. Add garlic, tomatoes, salt & pepper, lemon juice, basil & vegetable broth (see broth recipe in the archives under "tortellini soup"). Stir and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add more broth if soup is too thick. Let the soup cool and then line the bottom of a casserole dish with croutons and pour the soup over the croutons into the casserole dish once cooled. For decoration and flavor, add chopped basil leaves, sliced or diced cucumbers (use 4th cucumber), and a drizzle of olive oil over top of soup.
SERVING SIZE
6 servings
NOTES
This is a great soup for a light meal if you are watching your weight. You can prepare it and keep it in the refrigerator to have for lunch all week.
