Gazpacho
Gazpacho is the perfect, refreshing, nutritious soup. This easy to prepare version blends tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and olive oil to produce a silky texture and tangy flavor. Top with diced cucumbers and red bell peppers to add a little texture. This low calorie, Mediterranean soup packs a ton of nutrients. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, an antioxidant known to protect eye health. They are also packed with vitamins C & A. Olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, is a wonderful source of healthy fat that reduces cholesterol as well as antioxidants.
Makes: 8-12 servings
Time to cook: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
- 1 Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim, cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks
- 1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
- 1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste
- Salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling
Cooking Instructions
- Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
- With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
- Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Dice cucumber and red bell pepper and set aside.
- Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil on top and sprinkle with cucumber and bell pepper.
Nutrition per serving
122 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 365 milligrams sodium
Recipe: Ali Slagle, NY Times Cooking
