Recipe: Gazpacho*

Last week I mentioned that I was planning to try making Gazpacho, (a delicious dish made from raw tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, green peppers, celery and garlic).  I think it turned out really good—and so good for us too.  I made a huge batch, so we have eaten it all week—over scrambled eggs for breakfast, on tortilla chips like salsa, or even plain in a bowl as a cold soup—which is really how it’s meant to be served.  I have tweaked the recipe a bit which came originally from my friend, the famous “Pioneer Woman” (actually we have never met, but I’m pretty sure she would want to be my friend).  It’s a great way to use those end of the season garden veggies and create something you can eat to your heart’s delight without guilt.

Next week I will share a fabulous recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken (which you can’t eat to your heart’s content without guilt), so stay tuned.  If you eat the Gazpacho this week, you can have the Chicken next week, so start chopping those veggies!

• 2-3 large cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 white or purple Onion, chopped
• 2 whole large Cucumbers, peeled and diced
• 5 large Tomatoes, quartered
• 1 whole small Zucchini, unpeeled, diced
• 3 stalks Celery, diced
• 1 green or red Bell Pepper, diced
• 3 to 4 cups canned Tomato Juice
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• Salt to taste (at least 2 to 3 teas.)
• Black Pepper to taste
• 6 dashes Tabasco
•  2 to 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ½ bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped

Preparation Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, add the ingredients (in batches if the bowl of your processor won’t hold it all, and process to a coarse consistency (do not puree – see photo).  

Stir mixture together in a large bowl and taste, adding additional salt, pepper, sugar, or Tabasco if desired. Chill for at least a couple of hours; soup needs to be very cold!

Remove the soup from the fridge and stir. Ladle into individual bowls and if desired add a dollop of sour cream, diced avocado, chopped hard boiled egg, and grilled shrimp.  Of course, it is not necessary to add any of these things.  Serve with crispy garlic bread.

Note:  If you don’t have a food processor, you can use your blender, but just don’t overdo it—you want a coarse consistency.

*Originally distributed September 2013