Simple Summer Gazpacho

I took my first sip of this chilled soup and was immediately hooked! 

Crisp veggies, chopped garlic, and a drizzle of oil and fresh lemon juice whiz together in a food processor or blender, and the result is a delicious, cool, no-cook meal perfect for dishing into big bowls or serving as appetizer-sized shooters.

It’s the perfect little summer meal.

The gazpacho tastes best if it’s given a few hours to chill in the fridge so all of the flavors join forces and really intensify. I often garnish my bowl with sliced cucumbers and diced tomatoes for a bit of textural contrast, and a few slices of creamy avocado are always a welcome addition to this concoction.

This recipe serves 8 as a side dish or 4 as a meal, but it’s easily cut in half if you’re cooking for 1 or 2. With that said, I promise you’ll be excited about leftovers. Just take out of the fridge and freshen it with some extra lemon juice and olive oil.

Fresh, light, and packed with flavor.

Simple Gazpacho

2 pounds *fresh tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small red bell pepper, cored and cut into large chunks
1/4 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup lightly-packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon olive oil
Big pinch of sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (optional: Crushed red pepper flakes)
optional garnishes: extra chopped tomatoes, herbs, red onion, basil, avocado, olive oil, and/or salt and pepper

Add all ingredients to a high-seed blender or large food processor, and puree until completely smooth.  (If all of the ingredients don’t initially fit, you can puree the first half of the ingredients, then gradually add more in as there is more room available.) Taste, and season with extra salt and pepper and/or lemon juice if needed. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to chill, topped with your desired garnishes.

*In my experience, I’ve found that Roma tomatoes are more commonly used for this chilled tomato soup, but you can use whichever tomatoes you prefer as long as they are ripe. In fact, you can use a combination of different tomatoes (cherry, heirloom, vine ripe), which will add interest to your soup.

Recipe adapted from gimmesomeoven.com