Silky Summer Tomato Soup With Spinach Coulis - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Tomato Soup
3 lbs ripe tomatoes
1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 oz)
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 jalapeno pepper, seeded & cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or less depending on your tolerance)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or less if desired)
Spinach Coulis
3 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
1/4 cup oil (a mixture of canola & olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

Preparation

For the tomato soup:.
Cut the tomatoes into 2- to 3-inch chunks. Finely puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, salt, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Push the puree through a food mill fitted with the fine screen, then add enough Tabasco to the soup to suit your taste. (You should have about 6 cups of soup.) Refrigerate until cool.
For the spinach coulis:.
Pick out and discard any damaged leaves and seal the leaves in a plastic bag. Place the bag in a microwave onion and microwave the spinach on high for 1 1/2 minutes.
Transfer the spinach to a blender. Add the oil, salt, and water and process for about 1 minute, stopping the machine once or twice to push any pieces of spinach clinging to the sides down into the mixture. When it's smooth, transfer the spinach puree to a bottle or jar, cover tightly, and refrigerate.
To serve, ladle out about 1 1/2 cups soup per person. Garnish each bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons of spinach coulis.
Note: The spinach coulis can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated.