Are you so hot at night that cooking seems like a huge chore, and your appetite is low anyway? Gazpacho is the perfect hot summer evening start to a meal, or can even be a meal in itself with the addition of some fresh cold shrimp or prawns. It’s a blended vegetable soup that is not cooked, and served cold. Super refreshing and tasty when you use the bounty of vegetables from summertime!
Tips for making Gazpacho
- The most important thing in this recipe is the quality of your produce, but especially the tomatoes. Pick ripe and the sweetest tomatoes that you can find, preferably locally grown and from a farmers market, CSA farm, farm stand, or of course your own garden.
- Serve with some crusty bread, some cold fresh shrimp for a light but very elegant meal.
- The flavor of the olive oil will be nice in this soup, so be sure to use one that you really like! This is the time to bring out that expensive oil you’ve been saving for just the right recipe.
Spiced Gazpacho Soup
Difficulty:
Easy
Yield:
Serves 6
Page in NT: 229
Ingredients:
- 8 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 5 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
- 5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon raw wine vinegar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1/2-1 cup filtered water
- sea salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Mix all ingredients except water together.
- Process in batches in a food processor until not quite smooth.
- Thin to desired consistency with water.
- Season to taste with celtic sea salt and pepper.
- Serve well chilled.
Photo courtesy of Worth the Whisk on Flickr.