I realized the other day that we hadn’t had one of our favorite summer favorites yet – gazpacho! I realized this when I saw the growing pile of tomatoes on the counter and a couple of cucumbers in the crisper drawer, waiting to be used. We also had the last of the shishito peppers from last week’s visit to the farmer’s market to eat up.
This recipe is based upon one that my mom made growing up so I am not sure where her recipe originally came from. I have changed it up a little to fit our tastes and needs but it is still very simple and tasty. Add and subtract as you desire.
A few items to note – when dining out, gazpacho is usually not gluten free as it often contains breadcrumbs. Some recipes call for tarragon vinegar too, which is often made with malt vinegar – a no-no for celiacs. Check your labels. Also, chop all of your vegetables into similar sizes; we prefer a 1/4-1/2″ dice. And one last thing – this tastes better the next day, so make it ahead so that it can chill and the flavors meld.
This week we served it up with some shishito peppers and quick cheese quesadillas which were just corn tortillas with some shredded cheddar between and fried in a little oil on the stove.
Gazpacho
Recipe by Renee, inspired by my mom
46 oz bottle of vegetable juice such as V-8 Low Sodium or Spicy Hot version
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup sweet onion, like Vidalia, chopped
2 cups tomatoes chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup light-tasting olive oil
1 tsp worcestershire sauce or soy sauce *
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar, or maybe even sherry vinegar)
1-1/2 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 tsp fresh pepper
1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 – 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed (optional)*
Pour vegetable juice into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Chill for 4 hours and serve soup chilled.
Notes:
* Lea and Perrins worcestershire sauce is gluten free but not vegetarian, as it contains anchovies. The Wizards makes a vegan, gluten free worcestershire sauce, or you could make your own. Otherwise, substitute with gluten free soy sauce and adjust your salt as the soy sauce is probably saltier than the worcestershire.
*If we are eating this as a meal, I will often add a can of white beans for protein. We have also added fresh sliced-off-the-cob corn.
Sauteed Shishito Peppers
If you can find them at your market, be sure to grab them while they’re still around. They run about $8 per pound at the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market, but a full pound is enough for the two of us for three or four meals as an appetizer. Here is our favorite way to serve them up, from Deborah Madison, cookbook author. I use canola oil instead of olive oil as she suggests.
Beyond Rice and Tofu 