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Chilled Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil4 garlic cloves crushed2 red Fresno chilies, rough chopped½ bunch cilantro, rinsed and stems trimmed1 large onion, medium diced2 dried Guajillo chilies, stemmed and deseeded6 red bell peppers, stemmed and deseeded medium diced3 large beefsteak tomatoes, rough chopped2 tsp salt½ lime, juiced
In an oven-proof pot, sauté the garlic, onions, red Fresno chilies and cilantro with the extra virgin olive oil.
When the onions get a little color to them, add the red bell peppers and tomatoes and transfer the pot to an oven set at 400 for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top starts to caramelize.
Remove from oven and purée in blender with salt and lime juice.
Place puréed soup in refrigerator to chill.
Cucumber Herb Salad
Cucumber Herb Salad1 English cucumber, ends trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, cored of seeds and cut on a bias tossed with1 Tbsp salt (let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse off excess salt)1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced in small squares1 red Fresno chili, cut in thin rounds1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half12 sprigs cilantro, leaves removed4 large leaves basil, torn2 sprigs mint, torn
Combine all ingredients in bowl and toss together.
To plate in a soup bowl or cup, fill halfway with chilled soup, and then put roughly an equal amount of salad in the center.
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over soup and top with a teaspoon of crumbled queso fresco.
Recipe compliments of Chef Jeremy Kiens, of nana Restaurant (nanaOrganic.com). 3267 S. Halsted St., Chicago.
Click here for Warm Strawberry Bread Pudding with Sorrel And Rhubarb Sauce recipe
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