Refreshing Summer Gazpacho

Quick and easy, this is a light, refreshing, delicious fresh tomato recipe to beat the summertime heat. It’s a plus that it makes use of the season’s best ripe produce and comes together in just 15 minutes! (And no need to heat up your oven or stove!)

Makes 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs Roma tomatoes, ripe, halved, cored, no need to peel (Roma work well, but any ripe, fresh, juicy tomato will do.)

1 small cucumber, (1/2 lb), peeled, seeded

1 medium bell pepper, green, cored

1/2 small onion, red, peeled

2 small garlic cloves, peeled

3 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar works too)

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 thick stale slice white bread, crust removed (run under water before adding or soak in the gazpacho near the end of mixing)

Optional: garnishes of homemade (or store bought) croutons, fresh herbs, olive oil, or reserved bits of chopped gazpacho ingredients. A drizzle of cream or sour cream can be a nice addition, to make it a more substantial meal, you can also top with chopped good quality ham or chopped hard boiled eggs.

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Puree for 1 minute or until soup reaches desired consistency. I like mine super smooth, but your taste will decide.

2. Taste and season with extra salt, pepper, cumin - if needed.

3. Refrigerate for 3–4 hours in a sealed container until completely chilled.

4. Top with desired garnishes and serve cold.

There are many variations to customize your gazpacho. Try adding fruit (watermelon, strawberries, melon), veggies (zucchini, beets), or extra herbs (basil, thyme, chives) and if you’re a fan of spicy things (I’m not) you could add a bit of jalapeno or other spices to give it an extra kick.

Soup can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months (although mine never lasts that long!)

Submitted by Joy Fleury