This easy to make summertime treat will spoil you, and dazzle you with the healthy, bright taste of fresh vegetables, crunchy garlicky croutons, a creamy and silky dollop of icy cold sour cream, and pungent fresh herbs available from your garden.
Years ago I watched my mother make a vegetable Gazpacho with what she had on hand, and I swore I would never eat anything with so many vegetables in it. And it was cold, too. I mean, who on earth serves cold soup except the french? And what about this soup, exactly, was supposed to appeal to a kid? Yeah. Nothing. Except the croutons.
Fast forward to adulthood, and the years in Wichita, Kansas...when I had to learn how to cook fresh things. Summers in Wichita can be brutally hot...with temperatures hitting 116 degrees in the shade. So I was looking for something cold, refreshing, HEALTHY, fresh, and easy to make with just a few ingredients I could get at the grocery store. Something that would quench my parched throat, something that would be soothingly cool and refreshing, something that would be filling and most importantly, healthy and energizing. Something that wouldn't break the bank, be nutritious, and still diet-friendly.
Enter Gazpacho.
Gazpacho is a cold vegetable, tomato-based soup of ancient Roman and Greek origin, mostly thought to be from the Andalusian region of Spain. There's lots of history on it, so I won't bore you with it here, but suffice it to say that there are many ways to make it...literally hundreds. My way of making it breaks some of the traditional rules (big surprise, there), but it's been a summertime family staple for almost two decades now. And did I mention it was ultra diet-friendly?
This recipe is super easy, and makes a total of (6) 12oz. servings (about a half gallon of cold soup), and has only about 253 calories per serving.
Let's break it down.
Ingredients:
(1) Vidalia Sweet Onion 44 Calories
(4) Stalks Celery 40 Calories
(1) Medium Tomato 22 Calories
(1) Orange Bell Pepper 45 Calories
(1) English Cucumber (3 cups) 45 Calories
(1) 64oz Bottle of Tomato Juice 400 Calories
(3) Tblsp. Red Wine Vinegar 9 Calories
(3) Tblsp. Lemon Juice 9 Calories
(1) Tsp. Cumin -
(1) Tsp. Coriander -
(1) Tsp. Garlic Powder -
(1/2) Tsp. Ground Black Pepper -
Total for 6 Servings: 614 Calories
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Total for 1 Serving (12oz): 103 Calories
Add 1 cup of croutons: 125 Calories
Add 1 Tblsp. of Sour Cream: 25 Calories
Net Per Serving Calories: 253 Calories
Instructions:
Peel the Cucumber and the Onion, then rough chop all the veggies. Then throw all the veggies and spices in the blender, and cover with tomato juice. Blend on high for 2 minutes. Pour the blender contents into a large bowl, pitcher, or glass jar storage container, and top off with remaining tomato juice. Mix well. For best results, refrigerate and chill for 24 hours, and mix well before serving.
There. You're done. No kidding. It's THAT easy.
When plating, pour some into a bowl, top with fresh herbs such as chives or scallions or basil or whatever you have on hand, toss some croutons on top, and put a dollop of sour cream in the middle.
Enjoy!
You're gonna love this, I promise...because in Life as in Food, Flavor Is Free!
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