Even here on our lovely island in Puget Sound, northwestern Washington State, we get the occasional 80-degree day. Right now, on the last day of July, the temperature outside our north windows is 71 degrees, but the wind makes it feel like 51 degrees. A hot soup would work fine, so shove your bowl of Gazpacho in the microwave and warm it for a minute, neighbors.
Maybe this post will work a little weather magic and tomorrow the wind will drop and the temperature rise. For you folks in Arizona and Florida, suffering temperatures well over 100, have a bowl of this delicious Spanish cold soup and feel more comfortable.
GAZPACHO
Prep time: 15 minutes Chilling time: 1 hour or more
Servings: 6
Puree in blender or food processor, then transfer to a large serving bowl or tureen:''
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped*
1 finely chopped green pepper
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup carrot juice or chicken broth or beef bouillon
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
4 teaspoons virgin olive oil
Add and stir:
2 cups tomato juice or tomato based vegetable broth
Salt, black pepper and hot red Tabasco sauce to taste
Green onion tops, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped cucumber
Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours
At meal time, haul out the big bowl or tureen of chilled Gazpacho. Ladle portions into small bowls.
Garnish with:
Minced fresh mint or cilantro.
Serve with garlic toast or grilled cheese sandwiches.
One serving of this healthy soup is loaded with 773milligrams of Potassium, yields 3 grams of Protein, 5507 I.U. Vitamin A, 110 milligrams of sodium, 53 milligrams of calcium, and 15 milligrams of zinc.
*To peel tomatoes: Dunk one red-ripe tomato in enough boiling water to cover it. In 1 minute, retrieve the tomato and slip off the skin. Repeat with the second tomato. Chop the tomatoes, saving the juice they exude and adding it to the gazpacho.
