Summer Gazpacho

I've been thinking a lot about gazpacho lately. 

Maybe it was Samuel L Jackson asking Siri to remind him to put his gazpacho on ice in Apple's latest iPhone commercial or maybe it was my dad who called me last week after enjoying a bowl of gazpacho with his BLT over a business lunch or possibly it was a result of the recent warm weather and sunshine that forces one to ponder fresh and bright recipes more than usual. 

I spent the morning trying out a few different classic gazpacho recipes and came up with the one below; it's packed with flavor and couldn't be more light and refreshing with notes of cucumber, basil, and red bell pepper. Gazpacho can vary greatly in texture. I like mine to be almost completely smooth but still a tad textured so that you never get a big chunk of anything but instead can taste every ingredient in every bite. Keeping the garnish simple is a must too - just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a dollop of creme fraiche (or sour cream), and a bit of chive. Also, if you like a little heat you can add a squeeze of sriracha sauce too ;)

Summer Gazpacho

Ingredients

2 cucumbers, seeded, peeled, chopped

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, chopped

4 roma tomatoes, blanched, skinned, seeded, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 Tbsp basil, chopped

4 cups tomato juice 

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 lime, juiced

2 tsp worcestershire

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Blend all ingredients together using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor.

2. Chill in fridge for at least 24 hours before serving if possible so flavors can marry together

3. serve with dollop of creme fraiche, drizzle of olive oil, and a bit of chive or other herbs