Maybe it's the 90-degree
weather we're having this week, but I am so not excited about turning on my
oven. On the other hand, after several weeks of travel, I'm craving homemade,
clean, and simple foods. Enter the Summer Garden Gazpacho. This chilled soup makes
the most of in season ingredients—think vine ripened tomatoes, fresh from your
garden basil, and farmer's market cucumbers. For a protein and fiber packed
twist, I added a can of garbanzo beans and to punch up the flavor, I added a
bit of lemon juice. Aside from that, this is a pretty straightforward gazpacho
recipe.
Summer Garden Gazpacho
Ingredients
5 medium sized ripe red tomatoes (about 2 1/12 pounds), cored and
chopped
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 red pepper, cored and diced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
Freshly ground pepper (about 10 turns of a grinder)
Chop: Chop all the vegetables. Drain and rinse the
garbanzo beans. Add the beans and vegetables into a large, high-powered
blender. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Blend: Start on low and work your way up to the high-speed
setting. Once on high, run the blender for about 3 minutes or until the soup is
fully pureed without any visible pieces of vegetables or herbs.
Taste: Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Chill: Pour into an airtight container and chill for
at least 4 hours or overnight.
Serve: Serve cold and garnish with basil chiffonade,
crunchy croutons, fried tofu, a drizzle of olive oil, or avocado slices.
