Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Summer Soups: Gazpacho

We bought a house this year and I am loving the produce of my small kitchen garden. Last week twice I made Gazpacho using my neighbor's fabulous recipe. This one needs a food processor.

Into the food processor:
2 cloves garlic
4 tsp parsley
2 tsp chives
2 stalks celery (cut into chunks)
1 red bell pepper (seeded and cut)
1 cucumber (peel, seed, chunked)
2 tomatoes (peeled and seeded)

pulse after each addition, or if you're me, just do it all at the end. Don't let it get too fine.

Transfer to a large bowl and add:
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire
1/4 tsp sriracha, which I prefer to tabasco
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB red wine vinegar
2 TB lemon juice
4 cups vegetabel juice (V-8)

Serve. Gazpacho is a dish best served cold, or at room temp.

Yeah, I know it's a soup that's half V-8, but I love it, though I don't love V-8.

Only problem, this is obviously not a complete vegetarian meal. What do you serve with it? We had cheese on wheat rolls, (yum goat cheese) but couldn't there be a better match?

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I'm kind of on a soup kick. On other days I made gypsy soup (with leftover slices of roast pork on the side for the nonveges), and on another day I made vegetable soup with pistou (little hamburgers on the side for the nonveges). Looks like a jump on Fall menus, but using my garden produce and not turning on the oven was just right.

3 comments:

Elizabeth-W said...

I love love love gazpacho but it isn't a huge favorite here. I may try your recipe--it's been awhile since I've served it. I like to put chunked avocado in mine at time of serving.
What's wrong with it? You want more protein or something? I guess you could alter it and add a cup or two of garbanzos.

Johnna said...

Yes, I was worried about there being enough protein if Gazpacho is the main course. Even with wheat rolls and cheese and milk, it makes a light meal.

Scarehaircare said...

Love gazpacho. I serve it with bean and cheese quesadillas and also make a fresh guacamole for dipping. My kids have not complained yet.