Gazpacho for Summer

Gazpacho, chilled tomato and vegetable soup, is one of my favorite summertime dishes. It originated in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, where every family has its own variation. Today, the soup is made throughout the world, especially in Latin American communities.

Gazpacho makes a great accompaniment to grilled meats; it’s a safe and easy dish to make for a Memorial Day picnic; and gazpacho is a fun way to encourage your kids to eat their vegetables.

Gazpacho

1 Stalk celery
4 Ripe tomatoes
1 Red onion
1 Green bell pepper
1 Cucumber
2 Red bell pepers
3 Garlic cloves
1 Jalapeno pepper (optional)

3 C. tomato juice
1/8 C. olive oil
1/3 C. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Fresh basil leaves or oregano sprigs

Chop the vegetables into a 1/4″ dice. You can do this by hand or use the “pulse” feature on your food processor. If you use the food processor, be careful to coarsely chop and not completely puree the vegetables.

Add the tomato juice, olive oil, and white wine vinegar and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chill the soup at least six hours or, preferably, overnight. The flavors blend while it chills, so longer is better.

To serve: Pour into bowls or glasses and garnish with julienned basil leaves or oregano sprigs.

Serves four to six.

For another Gazpacho variation, check out this recipe for “White Gazpacho” that Jennifer just wrote about on “Like to Cook,” another food blog.

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