At the height of summer, the last thing my husband and I want to do is turn on the stove. We do plenty of grilling, of course, but when the temperatures soar, we seek out chilled recipes that help our family cool down at the end of the day. This recipe uses juicy summer tomatoes to create a quick and easy chilled soup that goes with just about any meal. If you have fresh herbs in your garden, feel free to add those. Basil is the perfect accompaniment, but thyme or oregano also works well.
Easy Gazpacho
4 large tomatoes, about 2 pounds
1 cucumber
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Core and quarter tomatoes and remove seeds, then add tomatoes to a blender or food processor.
2. Peel and quarter cucumber lengthwise and remove seeds. Add cucumber, onion, garlic, vinegar and olive oil to blender.
3. Blend mixture until completely smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and chill soup until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh herbs, as desired.
Serves 4.
Follow along with Megan Myers and her adventures in the kitchen at stetted.com, where she features a recipe for Cucumber Tomato Salad With Pesto.
