MOM'S FAMOUS SUMMER GAZPACHO
A few staple foods come to mind when I think of summer: BBQ, corn on the cob, watermelon, and yup you guessed it, gazpacho. You're probably thinking, what is she talking about?? Well, let me tell you. My mom has been making her delicious gazpacho for as many summers as I can remember. I used to not like it because the idea of "cold tomato soup" grossed me out. Now that my taste buds have had a few years to develop, I LOVEEEEEE gazpacho in the summertime. Keep on reading for the recipe!
Gather up all your ingredients.
Peel the cucumbers and then chop up the rest of the veggies.
Add the chopped veggies to the blender in portions at a time and blend them until they're smooth. Add in the 1/2 of avocado. Then pour the blended veggies through a colander over a large bowl to strain out the seeds and unblended tomato skin. Use a large spoon to make sure you get as much gazpacho as possible through the strainer. Sorry this step doesn't make for the prettiest picture, but I thought I might as well document the whole process. :) Next, pour the strained veggie mixture back into the blender and add the chopped tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, white sugar, and spices. Blend until smooth. Once you've spiced the gazpacho to your liking, pour it into a large Ziploc container and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Garnish with sour cream, scallions, avocado, and cucumbers.
Here's the recipe!
Ingredients:
Fresh -
7 red tomatoes
1 box of cherry tomatoes
1/2 English cucumber
2 pickling cucumbers (they're a bit smaller; you can also use one whole English cucumber if that's easier for you)
1/2 cup red onions
3 shallots
1 yellow pepper
1 avocado (1/2 of it is for blending; the other 1/2 is for garnish)
1/2 lemon squeezed
1 box chopped tomatoes
Dry + Oils -
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet balsamic vinegar
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon harissa
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white sugar (not pictured)
Directions:
1. Peel the cucumbers and cut them into medium-sized slices. Then chop up the rest of the veggies into medium-sized pieces.
2. Blend the chopped veggies in portions until the consistency is smooth.
3. Add in 1/2 the avocado to the blended veggies.
4. Using a large spoon and a colander, sieve out any seeds or leftover tomato skin over a large bowl.
5. Pour back the strained veggie mixture into the blender and add in the chopped tomatoes, oils, sugar, and spices. If you like to add your spices to taste, then by all means go for it!
6. Blend everything together again until smooth, and then pour the gazpacho into a large Ziploc container.
7. Let the gazpacho sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
8. Garnish with whatever veggies you have (cucumber, avocado, scallion, etc.), and a little dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
Recipe makes 8 cups worth of gazpacho
There's nothing like cold gazpacho on a hot summer night (which we get plenty of in sunny California)! I'm not even the biggest tomato fan, but I still love this chilled soup. Enjoy it among friends and family before dishing out some BBQ, or ration it out for a week. Whichever way you decide to serve this great dish, it'll be lovely and refreshing.
xoxo,
Emma