Gazpacho! A Recipe.

Gazpacho is a great summertime dish. Gazpacho is a chilled tomato soup from Spain, where it's usually listed under salads on the menu. Although not all versions are gluten-free, this typical one is naturally gluten-free and vegan. If you're like me and you have plenty of garden tomatoes, this recipe is for you!

Gazpacho

I start out by peeling and seeding the tomatoes. I tried to skip this step once, but found that the tomato skins lend a weird texture to the soup. Some people don't mind the seeds, so you can choose whether you want to seed it or not. Here's the easiest way to do it: take a big pot and fill it with about 2-3" of water (enough to cover the tomatoes). Set to a boil. Cut a small X in the bottom of:

2 lbs tomatoes

When the water is boiling, put the tomatoes in. Boil for 30-60 seconds. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. The skins should be well-split. Set the tomatoes aside to cool.

In a blender or food processor, chop until just slightly chunky:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 small red bell pepper, seeded

If it doesn't mix well, add some of the tomato juice that I mention later to get everything mixing. Set the mixture aside in a bowl.

Chop in the blender or food processor:

1 small onion, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro or parsley

Add this mixture to the bowl.

Peel and seed the tomatoes. Puree them in the blender with:

1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin if necessary)
2 tsp salt
6-oz can of tomato juice

Add to the bowl. Add:

1/8 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil

Stir everything together well. Chill for at least two hours, and serve cold. If it's really warm out, serve it with an ice cube or two.For a quicker prep time and a less chunky consistency, blend the cucumbers, pepper, cilantro and onion all together, remove to a bowl, and puree the rest of the ingredients together, adding to the bowl afterward. Stir, chill, and serve!