Gazpacho
Recipe
A light, refreshing cold soup is refreshing on a warm summer's
day. Grow everything you need for this recipe in your garden! This recipe
really shows off the vine-ripened goodness of your homegrown tomatoes, peppers
and cucumbers. You can make this gazpacho as mild or spicy as you like by
adjusting the number of hot peppers. Feeling adventurous? Try incorporating
some fresh herbs.
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut a small 'X' on the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife and add to the boiling water for just 20 seconds. Carefully remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and put in a bowl of ice-cold water. When the tomatoes are cooled, peel off the skin, cut them in half, and squeeze out the seeds.
- Add the tomato halves to a blender with the tomato juice and olive oil. Pulse on and off until the tomatoes are pureed. Pour into a serving container. If necessary, add a little water to thin.
- Add the rest of the ingredients into the tomato puree, stir well, cover, and let sit in the fridge for 1 hour to develop flavor.
- Ladle into chilled bowls and serve with cilantro. Garnish with extra pieces of the vegetables if desired.
- Tip: For a colorful presentation, dice some extra vegetables and sprinkle on top of this delicious cold soup before serving.
Ingredients
- 6 large ripe garden tomatoes
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup of tomato juice
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced
- 1 large cucumber, seeds removed
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Cilantro, chopped (optional)
