Gazpacho is a dish I plan on eating a lot more of this spring and summer. It is a cold soup of Italian origin and I have heard it described as a garden in a bowl, which it lives up to. It is made by blending fresh vegetables, seasonings, and some sort of thickening agent until smooth. Recipes vary by region in Italy and can be white, green, or red depending on the traditions and ingredients used.

Because gazpacho is made with so few ingredients. It is essential that they are high quality. The fresher the better. Picked-right-off-the-vine fresh is the best, but high quality in season vegetables from the grocery store and farmers market will do as well. You want to make sure all of your other ingredients are top quality as well. Really good extra-virgin olive oil and high quality bread are a must.

Since Gazpacho recipes predate modern kitchen appliances, the soup still retains some of its texture. It is smooth, but not silky, giving it a more substantial mouth-feel. The presence of the bread - which acts as a thickener - likewise contributes to this texture. When using a blender or food processor to make gazpacho, be wary of over processing. You want to retain some texture in order to mimic traditional recipes.

Gazpacho was made for sunny days and is best when consumed out on the patio. Its refreshing flavor will keep you coming back for more.

Gazpacho

Serves: 4

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 slices gluten-free bread (I used a rice and millet bread)

5 medium beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and cored

1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 orange bell pepper, cored

1/2 sweet white onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups canned tomato juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

To garnish (optional):

Extra diced cucumber, onion, and orange pepper

Avocado slices

Olive oil

Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Combine the slices of gluten-free bread with 3/4 cup water. Allow to soak until the bread has absorbed most of the water and is easily masked by a fork, about 15 minutes. Mash the bread with a fork and set aside.

Combine all of the ingredients, excluding the garnishes, and the mashed bread into a high powered blender or food processor. Alternately, if your blender or food processor isnot large enough to hold all of the ingredients, you might need to blend in a few batches. It took my blender two batches. Make sure the gazpacho is thoroughly blended and nearly liquid.

Transfer to a storage container and chill in the refrigerator until cold, about 4 hours or overnight. This will give the gazpacho time to cool and the flavors will mingle resulting in an even more delicious soup. To serve, ladle the chilled gazpacho into bowl and top with extra diced cucumber, onion, orange pepper, avocado, a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of pepper. Serve immediately.

More about Laurel:

She is the voice behind Catching Seeds. A dream-seeking twenty-something self-proclaimed foodie living in the Inland Northwest. She has a passion for creating whole food recipes that not only taste amazing, but have a positive impact on our health. Check out her blog here.