Spicy BLT Soup

It seems like it has been forever since I've posted a recipe.  Which is kinda sad considering I started this blog as a cooking blog!  I guess it's fairly reflective of my current life....there's not a whole lot of cooking going on in my kitchen these days.  =(

However, my parents' kitchen is literally overflowing with fresh tomatoes from my dad's garden.  Every year he grows buckets and buckets of tomatoes that end up in homemade chilis, tomato sauces, and salads.  But as much as I love homegrown tomatoes, there's only so many tomato, basil, and mozzarella salads a girl can eat.  So last week when my dad brought over his latest bounty, I decided to look for a new way to put it to use.  With the 100 degree weather we've been having lately, this chilled soup recipe fit the bill perfectly!  Normally I'm not a big tomato soup fan, but I found this to be really good and refreshing.  And other than frying up some bacon, there's no cooking involved whatsoever!

Andrea's Spicy BLT Soup

from Martha Stewart

2 lbs assorted tomatoes, roughly chopped

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 small cucumber, chopped

1 jalapeno, stemmed and chopped

1/2 small yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, smashed

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 slice white bread, crust removed, torn into pieces

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Toppings - Croutons, crumbled bacon, and sliced lettuce

Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and let sit for 10 minutes.  In a blender, combine all ingredients except the toppings.  You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender.  Pour soup through a sieve pressing on the solids.  Discard the solids.  Cover soup and chill til cold, about 2 hours.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Top with croutons, bacon, and lettuce.

ENJOY!