Photo by Quentin Bacon
As soon as the tomatoes come into my local farmer’s market my mind turns to one thing, like a mantra, Gazpacho, Gazpacho, Gazpacho. I have made it dozens of different ways over the years, but this is my official, go-to recipe, the one I simply must have in my fridge all summer long. It is easy-breezy, basically akin to whirring a tomato, cucumber and bell pepper salad in the blender. There is no need to fuss with peeling the tomatoes or straining the puree. I add a slice of bread (whole grain) to give it extra body and creaminess and a finishing drizzle of good olive oil for a refreshing, sumptuous, elegant way to eat your vegetables that I bet you won’t be able to stop thinking about.
Go-to Gazpacho
Ingredients
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 medium red bell pepper, cored
1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, (4-5 medium) cored and quartered
1 slice whole wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed
1 small clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 4 teaspoons for garnish
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
Directions
Chop half of the cucumber and half of the pepper into large chunks and put them into a blender. Finely chop the remaining peppers and cucumber and set aside for garnish.
Add the tomatoes, bread, garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and ½ cup of water to the blender and blend until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator in an airtight container for at least 2 hours and up to 4 days.
Stir before serving and garnish each bowl with 2 tablespoons each chopped cucumber and peppers and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: about 1 cup
Per serving: Calories 190; Total Fat 15g (Mono Fat 10.8g, Poly Fat 1.8g, Sat Fat 2.1g); Protein 3g; Carb 13g; Fiber 3g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 480mg
Excellent source of: Manganese, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Good source of: Fiber, Molybdenum, Potassium, Vitamin B6
Copyright 2017 Ellie Krieger. All rights reserved.
