Ionce read that food scientists say tomatoes and strawberries are made of the same flavor components, so they can be used interchangeably in cooking. I respectfully disagree; however, these two fruits do go together perfectly. My modern take—combining strawberries with garlic and dill—may seem unusual, but the strawberries make a subtle complement to the tomato flavor. You can also replace the strawberries with watermelon, raspberries, cherries, apricots, or melon.
Ingreadients:
- 1½ lb. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup halved hulled strawberries
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small red onion, quartered
- 1 thick sourdough or baguette slice, torn
- Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- Dill flowers, for garnish (optional)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Pinch fine salt
FOR THE SOUP:
FOR THE CRISPY GARLIC OIL:
Direction
- Make the soup: In a large bowl, toss together the chopped tomatoes, strawberries, sour cream, vinegar, garlic, onion, bread, 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to taste. Refrigerate until the bread is soft, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the garlic oil: To a small skillet over low heat, add the oil, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook until the garlic is soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Pour into a heatproof measuring cup and set aside. When cool enough to taste, season with salt.
- Transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor and blend until very smooth. With the food processor running on low, add the oil in a slow, steady stream until the soup is thick and velvety. Refrigerate until cold, 1–2 hours.
- To serve, divide the soup among four bowls. Top evenly with the cherry tomatoes, garlic oil, and dill flowers if desired.