Are you tired of eating salads all summer long? If so, I have the perfect summer dish that can surely delight you!
If you love tomatoes and enjoy cold soup, then gazpacho is one dish you should try. Made using tomatoes, this soup traces its origins back to Spain, from the southern Andalusian region. It is a perfect summer soup since tomatoes are abundant during the warm summer months. This tasty cold soup can help keep you filled and can cool you down at the same time.
The traditional gazpacho is one that is made using ripe tomatoes, cucumber, a selection of vegetables, and good olive oil. This is often served with cubed, day-old bread to thicken the soup and croutons for crunch. While the traditional recipe is always a good one, having the same soup constantly can be tiring and boring.
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3 Recipes of Gazpacho
The variations to this dish feature other kinds of tomatoes, not just the plump and juicy red ones. In addition to that, the different versions of this dish use plenty of vegetables and fruits and do not call for meat and animal by-products so this can be considered a vegan soup too. With that in mind, here are some gazpacho recipes you might want to try on a warm summer’s day:
Traditional Gazpacho
Ingredients (Serves: 6)
- 2 cups cubed day-old bread (no crust)
- Two garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste 2 lbs. ripe red tomatoes, peeled and seeded
- One cucumber, peeled and seeded
- One small green pepper
- Three teaspoons red wine vinegar
- One teaspoon sherry vinegar
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided in half
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup croutons
Directions:
- Soak the 2 cups of bread in the cold water for 15 minutes. After soaking, drain the water but reserve the water for later. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the soaked bread.
- Place the tomatoes, soaked bread, garlic cloves, cucumber, green pepper, reserved water, and vinegar in a blender. Pulse until you get a grainy consistency. Put on low then slowly drizzle in half of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once the soup is blended, place in a clean container with a cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Serve chilled topped with croutons and drizzled with some olive oil on top.
Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho
Ingredients (Serves: 6)
- One garlic clove smashed
- 3 lbs. ripe watermelon, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- Two ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced into wedges
- Two tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1⁄4 cup olive oil
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 1⁄2 cup chopped basil for garnish
Directions:
- In a blender, combine the first four ingredients and pulse until you get a chunky consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend again until you get a smooth consistency. Add some cold water a teaspoon at a time if the soup seems too
- Remove the gazpacho from the blender and place in a covered container. Chill for a few hours.
- To serve, place soup in a bowl, sprinkle the top with some crumbled feta cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with chopped basil.
Green Gazpacho
Ingredients (Serves: 5)
- 1 lb. green tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- One small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- One small sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- One small, ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
- One jalapeno, seeded and sliced
- One garlic clove, chopped
- 1/2 cup cold water
- One tablespoon lime juice
- One tablespoon mint leaves, chopped
- One tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a blender, combine half of the cucumber, onion, avocado, jalapeno, garlic cloves, and the green tomatoes. Blend with the lime juice and cold water, and then puree until smooth. Place in a bowl.
- Place the remaining ingredients in the blender (reserve a little bit of the cilantro, mint, and olive oil for garnish), and pulse into a chunky consistency while slowly adding in the olive oil. Mix with the smooth soup in the bowl.
- Chill the soup for a few hours. Before serving, season with salt and pepper, then serve in chilled bowls. Top the soup with the reserved herbs and drizzle the top with some olive oil. You can also garnish the top with sliced tomatoes and cucumber.
Final Words
Truly, a gazpacho is one of the easiest soups that you can ever make. It is so simple that there is no need for you to wear cooking mitts while whipping it up!
A gazpacho is a great option for when you want something filling but not too heavy. It’s also great when hot soup is out of the question due to the warm weather. Finding variations to this traditional Spanish fare, and experimenting with different kinds of tomatoes and combinations, will help keep this soup from getting boring.
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