Italian Style Gazpacho
End of summer tomatoes are often the best. I love nothing more than heading out to my garden each morning and picking ripe, sun-kissed tomatoes still warm off of the vines. We have been harvesting a large bowl full of ripe tomatoes from our small vegetable garden in Michigan every day for weeks.
I made a lot of fresh tomato sauce from this tomato bounty, froze a few bags of whole tomatoes, and enjoyed tomato bruschetta for lunch almost daily. When tomatoes are in season, I simply cannot get enough of them and try to get my fill since tomatoes the rest of the year are usually disappointing.
Twice in recent weeks, I had so many ripe tomatoes that I decided to make gazpacho. This soup can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature that often combines ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and a bit of spice.
Since I try to adapt most of my recipes to make them more Italian, I used Italian plum tomatoes in my version. I also used fresh basil and parsley in place of the usual cilantro called for in most gazpacho recipes. I thickened my soup with a little stale bread and pureed it until it was very smooth.
You can, however, leave your soup a little chunkier if you prefer it that way. To garnish your soup, you can top it with some diced fresh pepper and cucumbers, a swirl of sour cream, or some homemade croutons, which is my favorite garnish.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Italian Style Gazpacho
An Italian version of the traditional cold tomato soup.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Pounds Ripe Plum Tomatoes, Cored & Chopped
- 2 Medium Cucumbers, Chopped
- 2 Roasted Red Peppers, Chopped (Can Use Peppers From A Jar)
- 1 Small Hot Chili Pepper
- 1/2 Small Red Onion, Chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley Leaves
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Slice Stale Italian Bread, Crusts Removed & Chopped (About 1 Cup)
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- Garnish Of Choice (See Notes Above)
Instructions
- Place all of the vegetables, herbs, oil, vinegar, and bread cubes in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Taste and season well with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serve the soup in individual bowls with garnish of choice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 363Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 123mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 5gSugar: 13gProtein: 5g
