Chilled Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 3 medium-size red bell peppers
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable juice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 large avocado, chopped
• 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 purple onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
• Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

1. Broil peppers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet 5 inches from heat about 5 minutes on each side or until peppers look blistered.
2. Place peppers in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel peppers; remove and discard seeds.
3. Process peppers, vegetable juice, and next 5 ingredients until smooth; chill. Serve with avocado, next 3 ingredients, and, if desired, minced jalapeño and lime wedges.
4. Note: For testing purposes only, we used V-8 juice for vegetable juice.