This gazpacho recipe couldn’t be simpler! All you need is a high powered blender, like a Vitamix, and you can have this soup ready to go in 5 minutes, seriously! It’s October, and somehow we are still getting delicious tomatoes in our CSA farm box and from the farm stands in and around San Francisco. Not complaining! Since we’ve also been having hot days and warm nights, I decided to try a gazpacho recipe, and it is perfectly tangy and refreshing. One thing to note: QUALITY of ingredients really matters here. When preparing a fresh, cold soup featuring fresh vegetables, it’s important to try to use organic, local, and ripe ingredients. You will definitely notice a difference in flavor.
You can try some yellow heirloom tomatoes and a yellow bell pepper if you want to try for a yellow gazpacho. When I first made this, I made the mistake of combining red and yellow tomatoes, with a yellow bell pepper, and while it still tasted great, the color was not appealing at all!
Ingredients:
(serves 4-6)
1 small/medium cucumber, seeded and roughly chopped
5 large ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored and roughly chopped
1 shallot, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 pepper
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Chill the soup for about 1-2 hours before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh basil, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, or just have it plain!
