Today’s the day! My last blog for Easy as Pie. It has been a blast talking with you all about food. I hope you have tried a few of my recipes or that they have inspired you to try something new.
I’m leaving you with one of my top ten favorite recipes. It’s not a brownie, a cookie or a cake--- it’s cold soup! Ha! But seriously, I wait all year to make gazpacho. I think it is one of my favorites because it is full of fresh ingredients that come together perfectly on their own. No cooking required. Just some chopping and a light dusting of salt and pepper and you have a beautiful, flavorful soup. In each bite you’ll taste a bit of each ingredient—the cool, bright cucumber, mild warmth of the red onion and garlic, earthiness of the tomato and red pepper. It’s the perfect summer first course or served as a meal with hunks of crusty bread for dipping.
This is so simple. But with a flavor that will make you feel like a top chef.
Chop up the vegetables in to similar sized cubes. The cucumber.
Vine ripe tomatoes--all the same or a combination of your favorites. I used some plain red slicers and about two cups of yellow cherry tomatoes. No real favor change—just what I had on hand.
A roasted red pepper, peeled and seeded. Sometimes I oven roast mine but I charred this one right on my gas burner. Flip it a few times until charred all over. Put in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to let it cool and sweat. You might want to do this first to give it time to cool. When it is, the skin will peel right off. Take out the seeds and stem after peeling and toss the pepper flesh in the blender.
Chop a red onion—I had a white one on hand.
Most gazpacho recipes call for a bit of bread which helps thicken the soup. You won’t even know it’s in there. I used one low cal slice of wheat bread.
Add a small amount of olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
These ingredients fill my blender to the brim so I tend to add one ingredient and blend for a second. Add the next ingredient and blend. Eventually these flavors all blend together so the order doesn’t matter.
The final concoction is smooth, tangy and perfect. Add more salt to taste or a squeeze of lime for brightness. Chill before serving to allow time for the flavors to blend.
Keep cooking, friends. Enjoy every bite!
Gazpacho
adapted from My Father’s Daughter
8 ripe vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and cored
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 roasted red bell pepper1/3 cup peeled and diced red onion (1/2 onion)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup 1/2-inch bread cubes, cut from day-old sourdough, country bread, ciabatta, or the like
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lime, halved
top with croutons for garnish
Combine all of the ingredients up the olive oil in a blender and blend until desired consistency. I like mine to be almost smooth with a little texture. Once blended, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lime and a few cubed cucumbers or croutons.
adapted from My Father’s Daughter
8 ripe vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and cored
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 roasted red bell pepper1/3 cup peeled and diced red onion (1/2 onion)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup 1/2-inch bread cubes, cut from day-old sourdough, country bread, ciabatta, or the like
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lime, halved
top with croutons for garnish
Combine all of the ingredients up the olive oil in a blender and blend until desired consistency. I like mine to be almost smooth with a little texture. Once blended, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lime and a few cubed cucumbers or croutons.
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