Zuppa di Pomodoro

• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
• 1 cup zucchini, seeded and cut into cubes
• 1 cup red onion, cut into pieces
• 1 cup chopped scallions (white part only)
• 2 cups red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 clove garlic peeled and halved
• 1 bottle Mutti® Tomato Puree (24.5 oz., Passata)
• 2 cups chilled vegetable stock or broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices Italian bread, crust removed
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Mutti® Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (Doppio Concentrato)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise (Can be left out if vegan)

Garnish:

• Finely chopped yellow onion
• Chopped parsley or micro greens

Method

1. Chop the vegetables and place them in a large container with a lid. Add the Mutti® Tomato Puree and vegetable stock or water, cover, and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours.
2. When the mixture has marinated, make the soup. Puree the vegetables, tomato puree, and vegetable stock/broth in a food processor, then set aside in a bowl. Crumble the bread into a food processor. Blend until it’s turned into a fine crumb, and then add the vinegar, oil, Mutti® Tomato Paste, sugar, and mayonnaise. Process together until it becomes a smooth paste. Add some of the vegetable mixture (work in batches so you don’t overflow the food processor) and process for 1- 2 minutes to make sure the mixture is as smooth as possible. If you’ve pureed it in several batches, mix everything together. Cover the soup, place in the refrigerator, and allow it to chill for at least 2 hours.
3. To serve the zuppa di pomodoro, remove the soup from the refrigerator and stir it, as some of the liquid will have separated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with Mutti® Cherry Tomatoes, chopped onion, and parsley or micro greens, and serve.