Gazpacho – Perfect for summer days, this very refreshing chilled soup is full of sweet and juicy in-season tomatoes. Sherry vinegar and shallots balance the vegetable puree while a cherry tomato garnish adds a crunchy bite.
Gazpacho – As summer starts to draw to a close, many of us have an abundance of ripe tomatoes and green tomatoes. As far as green tomatoes go, we have several recipes here on our recipe website such as Green Tomato Soup and Fried Green tomatoes. Check those out if you have a lot of green tomatoes.
Making Gazpacho
For this recipe, we are going to use ripe red tomatoes and make Gazpacho. I did a video on How to Make Gazpacho back in August 2020. It was the classic way to make Gazpacho, with a couple of my own tweaks to the recipe.
The Gazpacho we are making today is borrowed from a recent Food & Wine magazine article on summer soups. It’s fairly simple, requires no actual cooking, and is a great starter for summer dinners. It also lends itself to lots of variations in the recipe. All you really need is some ripe tomatoes, some fresh herbs, and a blender.
7 health benefits of having Gazpacho
This Article from Solfrio.net talks about the 7 health benefits of having gazpacho
1. Gazpacho prevents colds. It contains Vitamins A, E, and C, mainly in pepper and tomato, which protect our body from this common viral infection in winter.
2. Gazpacho prevents hypertension. If hypertension is not treated early, it can cause heart attacks, ictus, and kidney failure. Gazpacho has a certain vasodilator effect which helps control blood pressure.
3. Slows the aging process. Antioxidant properties of gazpacho, such as lycopene of tomato and Vitamin C, reduce the action of free radicals. Gazpacho is the tastiest formula against wrinkles and skin spots produced by aging.
4. Gazpacho increases organism defenses. Garlic is one of the gazpacho’s ingredients, almost unnoticeable because it is treated in a special way to avoid difficult digestion. Garlic acts as a natural antibiotic that helps increase the body’s defenses against bacteria and viruses.
5. Helps you lose weight. It is a low-calorie nutritious dish that satisfies hunger and is rich in fiber, which facilitates intestinal transit and elimination of toxins.
6. Gazpacho hydrates your body. This is an isotonic drink with great content in mineral salts and water. Stay hydrated to relieve fatigue, help digestion and improve the performance of your body.
7. Extends the suntan because it is made with natural ingredients, which contain carotenes and activate the melanin in the skin. It also provides our skin with a healthy color and sun protection.
We like this way of taking care of ourselves knowing the benefits for our health of a glass of gazpacho.
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 lbs red ripe tomatoes cored and chopped (6 cups)
- 1 med. cucumber peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 med. red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 2 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
- 1 medium shallot chopped
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 cup vegetable/tomato juice such as V8
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Whole Basil leaves for garnish
- 2 cups multicolored cherry tomatoes halved lengthwise
- ¼ cup minced shallot
- 1 tbsp minced jalapeño
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp sherry vinegar
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the gazpacho:
- Place shallot in a small bowl, and drizzle with sherry vinegar; let stand 30 minutes.
- Toss together tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Pour tomato mixture, shallot mixture, and vegetable juice into a blender
- Pulse until finely chopped, about 4 pulses.
- Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- With blender running, slowly drizzle in oil.
- Season with additional salt to taste.
- Chill, covered, until very cold, at least 1-2 hours.
Make the Garnish:
- Stir together cherry tomatoes, shallot, jalapeño, cilantro, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.
- Let garnish stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Divide gazpacho evenly among bowls; top with garnish and fresh basil leaves.
Simple and easy to prepare
Looks perfect! I would have to food mill my tomatoes, though. I have a thing with peels and seeds!
Looks delicious Charlie! I love a good freshly made soup.
Thanks, Neil!
Thanks, Mimi, appreciate your support