Raw Vegetable Soup
3 medium-sized tomatoes, sliced
2 cup English cucumber, sliced
3 small Portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
5 leaves fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups water
1) In a blender or food processor, place half of the vegetables and half of the basil along with a portion of the water. Using the "pulse" setting on your appliance, blend thoroughly, then add the other half of the vegetables and basil and the other portions of the water and blend again. Smaller portions can be mixed at one time depending upon the size of your blender or food processor. When the mixture is combined and smooth, add the salt and pepper and mix on low.
2) Take required amount of bowls and place them in the microwave (no soup, just the empty bowls). Heat appropriate amount of time depending upon the durability of your stoneware and the intensity of your microwave -- generally between 2 and 3 minutes. Pour soup into bowls and serve. They should be hot enough to warm the soup without "cooking" it. This step is completely optional -- the soup has a perfectly lovely flavor cold, which is very nice for a summer lunch. Should you decide to heat the bowls however, be sure to use a place mat if serving on a wooden surface.
This can serve more or fewer people depending upon the desired portion size and the amount of water added to the recipe.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
This was a simple and tasty soup. I did end up using several baby bellas since that is what I had and I also added more basil and a clove of garlic. I'm not sure how much water I used since I added it slowly. I tend to like my soups a bit thicker so I didn't use it all. Next time I might also add a splash of red wine vinegar or a bit of fresh lemon juice.