Gazpacho Recipes To Savor

The refreshing flavors of Gazpacho

Traditionally served cold, a gazpacho is a chilled soup which is a great lunch time meal or light starter before your entree. A traditional gazpacho is tomato based, but there are a wide range of different types out there which are popular all over the world.

Originating from Spain, the gazpacho is also the name of a particular type of Spanish salad as well as a cold soup. A traditional gazpacho is mainly made up of 3 basic ingredients; tomatoes, bell peppers and cilantro. Some recipes also use spices such as cumin to add extra depth of flavor. This makes a bright red gazpacho, but there are other varieties which are just as popular and make a great cooling snack or lunch.

The summer season in the southern hemisphere and even during the cold winter months in the north, gazpacho is one of the healthy yet filling and refreshing soups? Each serving is under 50 calories and it’s an ideal way of easing yourself into a healthy eating frenzy after the onslaught of the Christmas holiday indulgent period! Also great for people that eat on the go, you don’t even need to worry about keeping this hot as its chilled temperature makes it special.

Classic Gazpacho Recipe

For a classic gazpacho, you will need:

• 2 cups peeled and chopped cucumber
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 (32-oz) bottle vegetable juice
• 1 can diced tomatoes in juice

1. Mix all ingredients together and stir well.
2. Place one third of the mixture into a food processor or blender; process 30 seconds or until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into a bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining mixture. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.

Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho Recipe

You will need:

• 1 avocado
• 1 cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and chopped.
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp chilli powder
• 1 cup water
• Smoked paprika (optional)

1. Place the avocado, cucumber, onion, oil, lemon juice, vinegar and water in a blender.
2. Puree on high speed until smooth texture.
3. Add salt and chilli powder then blend again.
4. Serve – garnishing with extra cucumber cubes and smoked paprika if you want to.

If you want to try a variety of different gazpacho recipes, the best thing to do is use vegetables that are in season for the best possible taste. Generally, gazpacho is a summer dish so if you are going to prepare this type of dish in the colder seasons, you might prefer to use carrot or cabbages instead!

Whether you go for a hot soup in the winter or a chilled gazpacho, you are sure to want to try a new recipe this season!