Gazpacho

Here's a cold soup that's perfect for a hot summer lunch ... or dinner. Serve it with Parmesan topped toast for a perfect pairing. While it's possible to chop everything together, I like to chop each vegetable separately.

Ingredients:

1 cucumber
1 red pepper
4 Roma tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded (optional)
2 Tbs fresh parsley
1 tsp garlic
11.5 oz V-8 juice (1 medium can)
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp pepper
cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Cut the cucumber in half, scooping out the seeds and discarding them. Cut the red pepper in half and discard the white membranes and seeds. Chop the vegetables into 1 inch pieces. Add the vegetables to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour the vegetables into a large bowl. Add the jalapeno, parsley, and garlic to food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add them to the vegetables, along with the juice, vinegar, olive oil, and ground pepper. V-8 juice has plenty of sodium, so your gazpacho won't likely need any additional salt. Serve, adding a pinch of cayenne pepper on top of each serving.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This has got to be one of the healthiest soups ever! It's like eating all of your vegetables at once, and it's so tasty!