Rachel’s Recipe Box

Gazpacho is chilled tomato-based soup with lots of veggies and a bit of a spicy kick is just right. For my kids, I explained it was “salsa soup”, which interested them. The adults loved it, and all the kids enjoyed it, too.

On a hot summer day, a cool bowl of gazpacho is just what my taste buds are wanting. My corner of the world (New England) hasn’t had many hot summer days this year, but on the last one I developed a serious craving. Of course, when I was able to make the gazpacho, the days had become cooler again, but it still tasted wonderful!

I misplaced my gazpacho recipe in the move, so this is loosely based on Alton Brown’s Gazpacho recipe, which is more time intensive and while yummy, doesn’t include two of my gazpacho staples – cilantro or avocado.

This is a delicious gfcf, gluten free, family-friendly recipe! It is also (if you double check ingredients!) a wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut free, peanut free, fish free, shellfish free, corn free, top 8 allergen free, and vegan/vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:

• 28 oz can peeled & seeded plum tomatoes

• 3 cups Tomato juice
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 chopped red, orange, or yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 chopped medium red onion
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2-3 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 1 bunch scallions, white & light green only
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 limes, juiced (we love our OXO Citrus Squeezer)
• 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Tabasco or Frank’s Red Hot sauce
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or several grinds)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Method
Open the can of peeled and seeded tomatoes. Strain juice through a sieve into a large mixing bowl. Remove seeds from the tomatoes, then dice and add to the bowl.

Add 3 cups bottled tomato juice to the bowl. Add olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, cumin, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and stir to combine

Dice and add avocado, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic cloves, and scallions.

Use your immersion blender (no one should live without a good Stick Blender, also known as the “juzsh juzsh thing”) to puree half the mixture. Or transfer half to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Stir again to combine the pureed and chunky parts of the soup.

Add chopped cilantro to the soup, then cover and chill for 2 hours or more.

Serve with extra chopped cilantro. Yum!