Printable Recipe: Cold Tomato, Garlic, and Basil Soup Recipe

Cold Tomato, Garlic, and Basil Soup Recipe

If you're planning a romantic picnic in summer, you're going to want dishes like this to beat the heat. This chilled, fresh soup is the perfect romantic picnic idea-- fresh, summery, and easy to make, it's a refreshing alternative to mayonnaise-based salads. Pack it up in a thermos to keep it cold until you reach your picnic destination.

Serves 2 to 4 people.

Ingredients:
1/2 head roasted garlic (find instructions here)
2 lbs. vine-ripened tomatoes
2 tsp. good-quality balsamic vinegar
Hot pepper sauce, to taste
2-3 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 C. chopped fresh basil

Instructions: 1. Quarter tomatoes and peel your half-head of roasted garlic.

2. In a blender, puree garlic and tomatoes (in several batches, if necessary). Pass each batch of puree through a sieve.

3. Stir in vinegar, pepper sauce, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Cover and chill until very cold. Can be refrigerated at this point up to a day.

4. Before serving (or before transporting to your picnic location), stir in basil. Taste for seasonings and add extra salt and pepper, if needed.