Best to make this recipe a day ahead so the flavors mix and it’s well chilled. Fresh sourdough or a baguette from the bakery, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and you’ve got a refreshing summer lunch!
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 (meal size) servings
- 6 C tomato juice
- 3 medium cucumbers, mostly peeled*, seeded, diced
- 2-3 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, lg. dice
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped fine
- 1/2 sweet onion, (Vidalia or Walla Walla), chopped fine
- 1-2 cloves raw garlic, chopped very fine or mashed
- 1/2 C good quality sherry vinegar
- 2 TB fresh lemon juice
- Tabasco sauce
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Wash vegetables and chop. Mix together in large nonreactive bowl, cucumbers, tomato, bell pepper, onion, garlic. Toss with the sherry vinegar and let sit for fi ve to ten minutes.
Add tomato juice, lemon juice, a good dose of the olive oil (1/4 to 1/3 c) and stir. Season with Tabasco, salt and pepper to your liking and refrigerate. Best served very chilled.
Suggested garnishes: chopped Italian parsley, fresh chives, lemon slice or yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
*Leave a little bit of cucumber peeling on for color.
