GARDEN FRESH GAZPACHO

It’s finally tomato harvest season! As much as we LOVE the taste of garden fresh tomatoes, we sometimes find ourselves wondering what new recipes to make that highlight their wonderful flavours. Well, we have something new for you to try that’s quickly becoming one of our favourite summer recipes! Yes, it is a cold soup. No, we aren’t crazy, trust us!

Packed full of vitamins and minerals, Gazpacho is one of those recipes that you might question at first, but once you’ve had it once, you’ll want to make it every week of summer and fall! Super easy to throw together and made with garden fresh vegetables, serve Gazpacho with fresh bread for a fresh and healthy summer meal.

What You’ll Need

  • 1 cup chopped red onions
  • 1 cup chopped green peppers
  • 1 cup chopped garden cucumbers
  • 1 cup chopped, peeled, garden tomatoes (we love to use a combination of varieties for more flavours!)
  • 1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 cups tomato juice
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • balsamic glaze (2 cups balsamic vinegar)

To Make

Mix all the ingredients except for the balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Cover and let sit overnight in the fridge for the flavours to develop. The next day, remove the thyme sprig and blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve!

For the balsamic glaze: Heat 2 cups of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium until steam rises. Simmer very slowly for 2-3 hours as the liquid reduces and creates a syrup-like glaze. Alternately, you can use your favourite store-bought balsamic glaze to make this recipe even easier!

To Serve

Keep the gazpacho refrigerated until you are ready to serve. Serve in bowls with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze on top.

Our favourite recipe here is courtesy of the French Laundry Cookbook, Thomas Keller et al. Artisan, 2000

 

Bon Appétit!