Summer Gazpacho
Gazpacho - it’s as enjoyable to say as it is to eat! This Spanish-style soup made from tomatoes, other ripe vegetables, and spices can be found featured on many restaurant menus and is a dining favorite on a warm day. That’s because its most identifying characteristic is that it’s served cold; making it the perfect dish for a hot Summer day. While you might only know this one from a restaurant, if you’ve got a blender or food processor at home, then you’ve already got all the “heavy” equipment you need to bring this easy soup together right in your own kitchen! This recipe really is one that “only gets better with age”; which is why we recommend chilling in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. This is to let the flavors come together and permeate the entire soup. If you don’t have a couple hours, though, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying it right away! It will keep in the fridge through the rest of the week (up to about 5 days and becoming all the more rich and flavorful in that time)!
In addition to cold soup being the perfect bite for a hot Summer day, it’s also chocked full of vegetables that are at their peak of freshness in the Summertime (tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers)! You’ll want to use vegetables that are ripe, but not yet overripe. When it comes to your tomatoes (and you’ll find this of most recipes for tomato based soups and sauces), you're definitely going to want to peel them - don’t skip this step. The skin of a tomato doesn’t blend exceptionally well, but peeling tomatoes is quicker and easier than you might imagine. While you can (very carefully) go straight to a raw tomato with a paring knife and peel, we’ve found it’s easier (as well as safer and even faster when all is said and done) to blanch the tomatoes before peeling them. Blanching instructions are provided just below. Note: if you already have a great method for blanching, then feel free to skip over these instructions below.
Easy method for blanching tomatoes for soups and sauces:
- Core your tomatoes, remove any rot spots, and score the underside with an “X”.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath.
- Drop the cored and scored tomatoes into the boiling water for 20-60 seconds, just until the skin begins to split and peel around the edges.
- Immediately move the tomatoes to the ice bath and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, use a paring knife to easily peel the skin away. Discard the skins.
Some other thoughts on making this soup to your tastes and preferences: if you like your food with a bit of a kick, then don’t skip out on the fresh jalapeno. And if you like your food REALLY spicy, then you can even add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to your soup before chilling or after chilling before consuming. Our recipe here makes a smoother soup, but there are plenty of delicious variations on gazpacho that feature a chunkier soup with more texture. If this is more your preference, then we’ve provided in our instructions below ideas for reserving some of the veggies to create a soup with a little more texture and crunch!
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. tomatoes, peeled
- 8 oz. cucumber, peeled
- 8 oz. bell pepper, seeded
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- ½ fresh jalapeno, seeded (optional)
- 8 oz. Pomi tomato sauce, divided
- 8 oz. water
- 3 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
- ¼ C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp. Sea salt
- ½-1 tsp. Onion powder
- For garnish: chives, finely chopped
Instructions:
- Note before beginning: the texture of this recipe is very smooth. If you want a little crunch and texture, reserve a small portion of the tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper and set to the side now.
- Roughly cut into chunks the unreserved tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper. Place in the bowl of a blender or food processor along with the jalapeno, garlic half of the Pomi, and half of the water. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a large bowl or container, and add olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, onion powder, and remaining Pomi and water. Stir well to combine.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Dice any reserved vegetables and store in the refrigerator separate of the soup.
- Serve cold in a bowl with chives and ¼ of any reserved diced veggies.
Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: ¼ recipe | 1 Serving Replaces: 1 vegetable, 1 healthy fat
