This refreshing summer soup, a silky blend of raw tomato flavored with garlic and oil, is most a liquid salad. It's excellent on its own, but when garnished with a simple spinach coulis, or puree, it is sublime.

The spinach puree is an excellent addition to sandwiches or soups and is great as a dressing for cold poached fish or as a sauce for pasta.

Tomato soup
3 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 sweet onion (about 4 ounces), such as Vidalia, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 jalapeno pepper (or less, depending on your tol-erance), seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1/4 teaspoon (or less, if desired) Tabasco sauce

Spinach coulis
About 3 cups (loosely packed) spinach leaves
1/4 cup oil (a mixture of canola and olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

For the tomato soup: Cut the tomatoes into 2- to 3-inch chunks. Finely puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, salt, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Push the puree through a food mill fitted with the fine screen, then add enough Tabasco to the soup to suit your taste. (You should have about 6 cups of soup.) Refrigerate until cool.

For the spinach coulis: Pick out and discard any damaged leaves and seal the leaves in a plastic bag. place the bag in a mi-crowave oven and microwave the spinach on high for 1 1/2 minutes.

Transfer the spinach to a blender. Add the oil, salt, and water and process for about 1 minute, stopping the machine once or twice to push any pieces of spinach clinging to the sides down into the mixture. When it's smooth, transfer the spinach puree toa bottle or jar, cover tightly, and refrigerate.

To serve, ladle out about 1 1/2 cups soup per person. Garnish each bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons of spinach coulis.

The spinach coulis can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated.