A Great Cold Soup Starter:Tomato-Orange Soup

This pareve soup is not only easy to make, but also uses ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry. It make a wonderful first course for a meat or dairy meal!  

Tomato-Orange Soup P Serves: 12

The orange zest and juice make this soup sparkle in your mouth. It is a wonderful cold soup that you prepare with boxed tomatoes so you are not dependant on the season’s produce.
Prep time: 20 min.  Cooking time: 45 min.
INGREDIENTS
2 large carrots
2 large onions
2 large stalks celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 boxes chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 large orange (you will need zest and juice)
4 cups pareve vegetable both
1 teaspoon sugar
EQUIPMENT
8 cup soup pot with cover
grater
electric food processor
DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and chop onions, celery and carrots. This is most easily done in a processor using the steel blade but you can do it by hand if you prefer.
2. Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium flame. Add chopped vegetables and sauté until soft. Pour in chopped tomatoes and vegetable broth.
3. Grate orange directly into the pot. Squeeze orange into a liquid measuring cup. You need ½ cup juice. Add juice to pot along with bay leaves. Stir well.  Bring ingredients to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer 45 minutes. Remove cover and add sugar. Stir well. Cool soup at least 15 minutes before pureeing it.
4. To puree: Remove 2 cups soup and set aside. Puree soup, two cups at a time and pour into container. Stir in reserved soup. Chill thoroughly-several hours or overnight. Taste. Adjust seasoning by adding more sugar and a little salt if desired. Serve soup very cold with homemade croutons.