There’s nothing more comforting than a cozy bowl of soup on a cold winter’s day, but can you replace that in the summer with a cold soup on a hot summer’s day?

Yes! Yes you can.

For many years I didn’t think so – but with this recipe, I’ve been able to capture that same comfort feeling with many of our favourite summer fruits and vegetables, while maintaining my “cool”ness.

Whether served as a snack or part of a meal, this soup has amazing versatility and should be a staple in your fridge as it is in mine. In addition, this soup is actually quite good for you, it is made from foods with anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation has been linked with many illnesses, from depression, heart disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s to cancer. We need to reduce inflammation and one factor that can help with this is diet.

Start with this soup.

There are many variations of this recipe, but this one has been my favourite.  Start with this, and then find your favourite:

What you need:

– 5 Ripe tomatoes, diced
– 1 onion diced (Option: roasted) *
– 1 Head of garlic, minced (Option: roasted)*
– 1 Cucumber diced
– 2 Jars of roasted red pepper diced
– Salt & Pepper to taste
– 1/3 cup Cilantro, diced

Optional add ons:

– Shrimp
– Chicken
– Croutons
– Fish
– Crackers (My favourite)

What you do:

Place all ingredients together in a large bowl, mix and serve. The flavours meld and come out more if left to sit overnight.

There is a lot of  dicing in this recipe

For those of you who love to dice, grab a sharp knife and get to work.

For the rest of us, the short cut is: A food processor! The food processor can be used for this recipe. Run it longer for a smoother blend. If you’d like a chunkier texture, use your pulse feature.

Tip:

*I like both the onion and garlic drizzled in olive oil and roasted at 350° for 30 min.

Enjoy with friends or family!

Have a great week

Danielle’s Pampered Kitchen..Healthy Meals in Minutes