Gazpacho is Spanish tomato soup that is pureed with cucumber, red peppers, olive oil and spices. It is very easy to make and perfect to have on a hot summer evening. Pair it with some great cheese, pepperoni slices and toasted bread, and it is delicious.
I made this on the boat on a hot Florida summer day. The boat air conditioners were trying to keep up with the heat and humidity outside. Since gazpacho is an uncooked soup, it was perfect since I didn’t have to start the propane stove to make it.
We had this with manchego cheese, pepperoni and toasted Italian bread. We also had a cabernet sauvignon wine which had the body to stand up to the cheese and pepperoni. (Just an extra tip when you make this, use the best extra virgin olive oil you have because the oil is a big flavor enhancer for this soup).
What a great summertime dinner! Try this, you’ll like it.
Enjoy!
Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz . cans diced tomatoes
- 1 sweet red pepper , diced
- 1 medium cucumber , diced
- 5 slices good white bread , crust removed, torn into pieces
- 1 lg. garlic clove , coarse chopped
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 large fresh basil leaves , chopped (optional)
- 12 oz . water
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place tomatoes, bread, pepper, cucumber, garlic, cumin, vinegar, basil if used, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blend until the ingredients are pureed. (You could also use an immersion blender for this).
- Add water and extra virgin olive oil and stir together.
- Place in your refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so that the flavors meld.
- Serve cold with an extra drizzle of olive oil.
- Garnish with chopped tomato, cucumber and red pepper.
Nutrition
This is a great dinner on a hot night, and leftovers are perfect for a cooling lunch, too.