Seasonal Gazpacho Craving

One of the tell-tale signs Spring and Summer are right around the corner is when the delicious, cold, tomato-based, raw vegetable soup called Gazpacho starts appearing on restaurants' "Soup du Jour" menus. Since Gazpacho is a seasonal soup that disappears over the cold winter months, Spring (and warmer weather) for me always initiate intense Gazpacho cravings. As in, if I see it listed on a menu, there's a 99.9% chance I'll be ordering it. But, let's be realistic. I'm on a city-girl budget here, so to stretch my dollar a little further, I like whipping up vats of it from scratch using my baby Cuisinart. Hello generous portions of Gazpacho for lunch and dinner all week!

There are many variations of how gazpacho can be made; the consistency, ingredients, toppings, etc. Having studied abroad for a semester in college in Spain's Southern region of Andalusia (Gazpacho's indigenous homeland), I prefer as basic as a gazpacho can get. Not too chunky and not too pureed or over-processed. Garnish with croutons, shaved cucumber, olive oil, avocado, and pour a glass of Rioja to accompany.

Gazpacho is very simple to make - win! And its also super healthy. Raw, dairy-free, and an excellent serving (or two) of nutritious veggies. Turning to culinary master Ina Garten and her to a T recipes of pure genius, this gazpacho recipe of hers is just that. Perfect. Delish. The quintessential melding of cold, sweet, and tangy flavors suitable for a sweltering day. Here is a photo of my homemade Gazpacho, though for a party - look how posh it looks presented in shot glasses!

Buen Salud!

GAZPACHO

Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Copyright 1999

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled

2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded

4 ripe plum tomatoes

1 medium red onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups organic tomato juice

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup good olive oil - preferably Spanish

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

Method:

1. Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable into the food processor separately and pulse until it is coarsely chopped; do NOT over-process!

2. After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer the gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.