My husband likes to cook, and since retirement he prepares his own lunches each day. Throughout the summer he’ll make batches of gazpacho partly the traditional way from Andalusia, Spain (using fresh tomatoes, seedless cucumbers, bell peppers, slightly stale bread, olive oil and sherry vinegar), and partly the Americanized way (we’ll call it fusion) which includes jalapeno pepper (for a flavor bite) and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the end (for a touch of smooth sweetness). While this recipe is pureed, he often reserves cucumbers and tomatoes to chop and toss atop the soup at the end. He sometimes adds other tasty toppings which I’ll list below.
Whether you enjoy a large bowl of gazpacho or a small cup that you can tuck among other foods on your plate as shown here, the result is a low-fat, cold summer soup with a clean and refreshing tang.
Paul finds it easy to make his gazpacho – it takes him 10-15 minutes to prepare. A batch is about 64 oz. or 8 cups.
Ingredients
½ cup good virgin olive oil
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes (depending on size)
2 seedless (English) cucumbers
1 red or other sweet onion
1 red or other color bell pepper
1 jalapeno (without the seeds)
1 pint or more of V8 Juice (Original flavor)
1 peeled garlic clove (optional)
1 slice of white or sour dough bread (slightly stale is best)
2 tbs Sherry vinegar
Preparation
Roughly chop the tomatoes, peel and chop the cucumbers, seed the bell pepper and jalapeno and chop them and the onion roughly.
Fill the bottom of the blender container with the half cup of olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, bell pepper and garlic (if using).
Add the slice of bread and pour the sherry vinegar over it to moisten it.
Blend at high speed until the consistency of the gazpacho is uniformly smooth. Taste and add salt and/or more vinegar to taste.
Refrigerate soup until cold and serve with or without toppings.
Optional toppings
Finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, melon, celery, croutons, cooked shrimp, thinly-sliced prosciutto (fried or microwaved), a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and/or olive oil, fried onions, salsa, etc.
If you have a healthy and easy summer soup recipe you’d like us to consider publishing on our website, you are welcome to go to our Contact page and submit it to us. The photo must be your own and if the recipe is not your own we require that you credit the source.
Consult with your healthcare provider and other appropriate professionals before
engaging in any of the activities or following any advice in this article. Empty Nest Network is not
recommending the use of any promotions, products, services or sources that may be referenced in this article and
you do so at your own risk.