Glorious Gazpacho – Speak Summer More Fluently

So you’ve grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, tossed salads, boiled corn on the cob and made pies and cobbler already this summer. But none of these speak summer more fluently than a glorious gazpacho soup, served cold with a light sheen of olive oil on the top and dipped into with a piece of crusty, sourdough baguette.

I remember the 1980s when gazpacho soup was all the culinary rage. These days I see a lot of recipes for smooth, blended gazpacho, more reminiscent of a tomato soup than a classic gazpacho.

FFA’s 1980s chunky-style recipe for cold gazpacho soup uses the bounty of summer tomatoes and garden vegetables. It’s easy to assemble, refreshing and delicious on a hot summer afternoon sitting somewhere in the shade. And you won’t need a blender to make it!

Glorious Gazpacho

Serves 4; Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups tomato juice (I used Very Veggie by R.W. Knudsen)
• 3 cups peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 of an Anaheim chili pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup seeded and chopped cucumber
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley (set aside a tablespoon for garnishing soup bowls)
• 1 chopped clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red-, white- or sherry-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Serve in chilled soup bowls and sprinkle a bit of chopped parsley on top. Enjoy the cold and refreshing, fabulous flavors of the summer garden!

…here’s the video of how to make FFA’s glorious gazpacho!

…and here are a few of our summertime salads that we think you’ll enjoy!