I know, I know. It’s the beginning of September and instead of posting a recipe about pumpkin or chili I am posting a recipe for Easy Gazpacho, a cold, refreshing soup that is generally made and enjoyed during blazing hot summer days! I promise the pumpkin recipes, baking recipes, and chilis are all coming your way before you know it. But for now, let’s cherish this soup that’s made with all the fresh, late summer veggies (yes, it’s still technically summer) while our afternoons are still warm and sometimes humid. Sound like a plan?
The idea of gazpacho always weirded me out. Soup is not supposed to be cold. Soup is a warm, comforting food that helps us to survive the colder months. THIS Easy Gazpacho recipe totally changed my tune. It’s smooth and creamy, yet light and cooling. It’s crisp, tangy, and packed with summertime flavors. It’s got all the fresh, ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, shallot, jalapeno, garlic, parsley, cilantro, a little olive oil for richness, plus plenty of salt to bring out all those flavors. AND tangy red wine vinegar! The red wine vinegar is key. I tried using lemon and lime juice to bring a nice kick to the gazpacho, but the red wine vinegar wins by far. It gives this depth of fruity, tangy bite that cannot be replaced, IMHO.
Easy Gazpacho is basically all the late summertime veggies that are at their peak right now blended into a smooth cold soup. BTW this is the perfect way to use up all of those last minute tomatoes that are currently popping up in your garden. Literally all you do is roughly chop up your veggies, put them in the blender and let it do the work for you. EASY, right?! Then you allow it to chill for at least 4 hours to 8 hours. This is when all of the flavors come alive. Go ahead and taste a little when it’s at room temperature, but don’t let it fool you because the true flavor of this Easy Gazpacho is tasted when it’s chilled out in the fridge long enough for all the summer veggies to hang out and become best friends!
This Easy Gazpacho is ideal eaten on a hot summer day, right after a sweaty run/hike/mowing-the-lawn session. I mean it’s like V8 juice, only way, way better because it’s freshly made and creamy and needs to be eaten with a spoon! Here’s to holding onto the last warm summer days before pumpkin season truly arrives!
I hope you love this Easy Gazpacho as much as I do. Don’t forget to leave a comment down below and rate the recipe. I really appreciate it! Cheers!
Easy Gazpacho
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup, Appetizer, Sides
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Description
Easy Gazpacho is a tomato-y, creamy soup that is served cold. It’s packed with end-of-summer veggies.
Ingredients
- 4 cups ripe tomatoes (I used a combo of Roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, but any variety will work).
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cucumber, divided
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed (optional)
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic
- 2 medium-sized shallots
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt to taste (Don’t skimp; this really brings out all of the flavors).
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey (optional)
Instructions
- Peel half of the cucumber and chop up that half. Reserve the unpeeled half for chopping later to top the gazpacho. Roughly chop all the remaining veggies.
- Palce the chopped veggies, plus olive oil and red wine vinegar, in your blender. Working in batches if needed, blend on high until everything is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add salt and black pepper.
- Taste and adjust the salt accordingly. You can use a few teaspoons of honey to add a slight sweetness and help round out the acidity, but it may not be necessary.
- Transfer the gazpacho to an airtight container and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but 8 hours is best.
- Just before serving, give the gazpacho a good stir. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, the reserved unpeeled cucumber (chopped), and some minced parsley or cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
Prep time does not include time required for the gazpacho to chill.
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