I was at the Farmer’s Market this past weekend, and passed by one stand selling bags of tomatoes at a discount price. They were in good shape, fresh from the garden, no pesticides.
Farmer’s market produce is usually healthier than organic tomatoes in the supermarket. Firstly, there is no Apeel to deal with. And then there is more nutrition in the freshly picked local Farmer’s Market produce than the organic produce that has traveled hundreds of miles cross country and has been sitting in the supermarket for days or weeks.
Never one to pass up a bargain, I bought several bags of the tomatoes with visions of making salads and homemade tomato sauce.
That vision changed. Came home late from work the next evening, too hungry to start cooking, looked at the tomatoes and “gazpacho” popped into my head.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup, easy to make, loaded with nutrition and flavor. It basically is a tomato smoothie.
Gazpacho Recipe
Ingredients:
· 2-4 large ripe tomatoes
· 1 small cucumber
· 1/4 medium onion
· 1/2 bell pepper (any color is fine – red makes it sweeter)
· 1 clove garlic
· 1-2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
· 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
· 1/8 tsp sea salt
· Handful of fresh cilantro
Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender until super smooth.
2. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, vinegar for acidity, and garlic/onion for pungency. The soup should be creamy. If too watery, add more olive oil (or tomatoes).
3. Serve in a cup or bowl. Top with a cilantro sprig or chopped veggies.
4. Drink as is or refrigerate for later. Serve it cold.
5. It can be heated for a nice creamy warm soup.
I had mine at room temperature, and it was delicious. And it satiated my hunger enough that it became my entire dinner for the evening.
Gazpacho is packed with vitamins and antioxidants. It's low in calories but still keeps you hydrated. It’s perfect as an appetizer, snack, or light meal. Plus, it's super tasty and a breeze to whip up!
