A Refreshing and Cool Dish to Beat The Summer Heat

Gazpacho or Gaspacho is a Spanish and Portuguese dish that is mainly eaten in the summer because of its refreshing qualities. Originally from the southern region of the Iberian peninsula, Gazpacho is a cold soup and/or drink made from blended or chopped vegetables. There are many variations of Gazpacho, ranging from its traditional form, to substituting cucumber or watermelon for some ingredients. No matter how you make it, Gazpacho reigns supreme as the #1 soup/appetizer choice during the warmer months. Below you will find a traditional Gazpacho recipe, along with a variation recipe. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• Tomato juice
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Instructions

1. Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.
3. Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with chiffonade of basil.

Recipe used: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/gazpacho-recipe-1937573 

Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients

• Watermelon: highly recommend using seedless watermelon.
• Roma tomatoes (or any ripe tomatoes you prefer) 
• Cucumber (I typically use English cucumber, or you can core/seed a regular cucumber) Red bell pepper (or any color)
• Red onion
• Garlic.
• Fresh mint: Feel free to add as much or as little mint as you prefer 
• Oil and vinegar: Olive oil and sherry vinegar (or you can sub red wine vinegar) are traditional for Spanish gazpacho.
• Cumin
• Salt 
• Pepper.
• Bread: This is the Spanish trick for thickening your gazpacho! Just take a slice of bread (any kind will do), remove the crusts, and then soak the bread before blending it into the soup. You can either soak it in the soup for a few minutes. Or do what my Spanish friends taught me and just run it under the sink for a sec to soak the bread, ring it out, then add it to the blender.
• Toppings: Feel free to add some chopped fresh mint, a drizzle of olive oil, and/or any leftover chopped gazpacho ingredients as a garnish.

Instructions

1. Puree the soup: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree for 1 minute or until the gazpacho reaches your desired consistency. (I prefer gazpacho super-smooth.)
2. Chill: Transfer the soup to a sealed container and refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled.
3. Serve: Then serve the soup nice and cold, garnished with your favorite toppings.

Recipe used: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/watermelon-gazpacho/