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!

Comments

l'actrice said…
That sounds just fantastic:-)
Rebecca said…
If you have a food mill, it will make quick work of peeling and de-seeding those tomatoes. Then you don't have to do any cooking at all (if you count boiling water as cooking).

Also, I used my own tomato juice/sauce for this gazpacho because I had reduced about eight pounds of tomatoes in the oven earlier in the week. I roasted the tomatoes and they let off about a quart of juice! If I don't have any juice handy, I just skip that part.
Gina said…
Once I tried skipping the juice and it just wasn't the same. Maybe I had bland tomatoes that time. I'll try skipping it again.

I'm resisting buying a food mill. I shouldn't buy any more gadgets until I use the ones I have!
Rebecca said…
I have a lot of kitchen gadgets. I have finally come to terms with it. And I do use my waffle iron, panini grill, ice cream maker, food processor, rice cooker, blender, egg slicer, and food mill quite a bit. Next up is an electric egg cooker.

The point is, you should get a food mill.
Gina said…
No, don't make me do it! The food mill will sit in the basement with my ice cream maker. I have thought about just squishing the tomatoes through a sieve, though.
Linda said…
It sounds good. I just have to get over the idea of cold soup. A great way to use up tomatoes though. I can see why they would need to be peeled. I think I would like them seeded also.
Rebecca said…
The food mill will peel AND seed those tomatoes. It's a lot more efficient than pushing something through a sieve with a spatula.

I used my food mill AND ice cream maker earlier today!
First - I love gazpacho AND the way you broke down the recipe. It looks delicious.

Now for the gadget debate - I broke down and bought a food mill and I love it. I also have not 1 but 2 ice cream makers and I use them both, sometimes one right after the other. I have 2 coffee grinders, 2 microplanes, a lemon juicer...should I go on and on??? I stock pile the Bed, Bath, & Beyond coupons and then come home and tell my husband how much money I saved him. :)
Brian said…
I've never had gazpacho before. I may have to try it, I've got a lot of tomatoes from my garden that need to be used up.
Chandice said…
Looks delicious! Thanks for such a great gluten-free blog! I will be sure to add it to my blog roll so others can enjoy it as well :)
www.glutenfreefrenzy.blogspot.com
Wow - I usually just use canned tomato juice as my base, but this sounds so much better! Looks and sounds great!

Ellen
Ahhh, my fav soup! Love it, can't get enough of it especially in the summer.
Thanks for this great gaspacho idea...yummmm...it's one of my favorites..thanks!
Gina said…
I'm glad you like my gazpacho recipe!

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