Pineapple Gazpacho

Serves

For an interesting twist on a summer standard, we've substituted fresh pineapple for tomatoes in this classic cold soup. The result is a refreshing purée that's as pretty as it is delicious. Enlivened with a bit of heat from fresh ginger and a scattering of mint, this gazpacho will be a welcome first course during the dog days of summer.

Ingredients

1/2 large pineapple (peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks, about 3 cups)
1 medium English (seedless) cucumber (8 ounces) (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks)
1 medium yellow bell pepper (seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice, about 1 cup)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
  grated zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 slices (thinly) fresh ginger root (no need to peel)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint

Directions

Place the pineapple, cucumber, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and run the machine until the mixture is very smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids.

Add the pineapple juice, lime zest, lime juice, and salt to the purée. Place a slice of ginger in a garlic press, hold the tool over the bowl of gazpacho, and squeeze to extract the juice. Repeat with the remaining ginger slices, discarding the slices after juicing. Stir in half of the fresh mint and refrigerate the gazpacho until cold.

To serve, divide the soup among chilled bowls and garnish each with a sprinkle of the remaining mint.