Its officially September, but I dont want to let go of summer food just yet. This summer has been filled with BBQs, grilled meats and veggies and it was always fresh and delicious. While I like fall for its comfortable temperatures and outfits (sidenote: I am at my trendiest in fall when I get to wear a leather jacket and boots. Throw on anything with that and its a quote unquote cool) I just love summertime tomatoes.
So I will just have to scoop up the remaining fresh farm tomatoes in the markets and make batches of this soup to enjoy for the next while. Cause its delicious.
While I have had gazpacho in many restaurants, this recipe from my mother is always my favorite. Its even better when she makes a batch and sends me home with a container full to last me a week! Thanks Mom!
Gazpacho
Ingredients:
- 1 large english cucumber, peeled
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded
- 1 small yellow onion
- 6 medium tomatoes, peeled
- 4-6 garlic cloves (depending on how garlicky you like it 4 still makes it quite garlicky) minced
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 TBSP salt
- 19-oz can tomato juice
- Couple dashes of tabasco
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Cut cucumber, green pepper, onion and tomatoes into chunks
- In the food processor: process cucumber in pulses until finely chopped. Remove to a large bowl. Repeat with green pepper, onion and tomatoes, removing each one to the large bowl.
- Process together the minced garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, basil, oregano, salt and 1/2 the tomato juice. Process until smooth.
- In the large bowl, add to this mixture to the chopped vegetables and the remaining tomato juice. Add salt and pepper and tabasco to taste.
- Chill for at least 4-6 hours. Serve with croutons and other additions (like cucumber, mint, basil)
Recipe adpated from The Food Processor Bible