Vibrant and refreshing gazpacho bursting with sweet heirloom tomatoes, cool cucumbers and a little spice is the perfect meal during those hot summer days. This simple and delicious soup is best served cold and only takes about 10-minutes to make. What sets this gazpacho apart is the beautiful vine ripened heirloom tomatoes, your tastebuds will thank you for going the extra mile, I promise!

Chunky or Smooth Gazpacho?

The million dollar question…should gazpacho be chunky or smooth? Well, it all comes down to preference, however, chunky gazpacho is healthier for you. Why? Well, because a majority of the “good for you” fiber from the produce is still in the chunky version of this beautiful soup. Fiber is essential in digestive health, blood sugar regulation, and supporting a healthy and diverse  microbiome.

Why Tomatoes are So Good for You!

There are so many reasons to love tomatoes other than their tart and tangy delicious flavor and how versatile they are, they contain loads of nutrients such as lycopene, insoluble and soluble fiber, vitamins C, K1, B9(folate), potassium, and antioxidants like beta carotene [1]. Let’s dive a little into what lycopene is an how it supports your health.

Lycopene is an antioxidant known as a carteniod, and is found in red, pink and orange fruits and vegetables, it’s what gives these plants their reddish hues.  Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and combats oxidative stress protecting your cells and your health.

Lycopene has been shown to support a healthy heart and blood pressure [2] as well as the balance of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL).

Does Organic Matter?  That depends on what you are buying, and when it comes to tomatoes, I always buy organic and here’s why…tomatoes are a delicious fruit that lots and lots of critters love, and to yield a profitable crop, industrial farming loads up these delicate, juicy gems (which are often GMO’s) with lots of pesticides that contain glyphosate and other neurotoxins. 

Across the globe, over 80% of all the GMO crops that are cultivated have been modified against herbicides such as RoundUp.  This means that the crops have had their DNA altered so that they are resistant against chemicals like RoundUp allowing for these toxic chemicals to be sprayed on the crops, killing other plants and pests without harming the crop itself.  The problem with chemicals like glyphosate is that they are now part of the food you eat, and have given rise to “superbugs” and “superweeds” that have become resistant to it and can now only be killed with chemicals that are even more toxic like 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, an ingredient in Agent Orange) shown to correlate with thyroid disorders, hormonal disorders, decreased fertility, birth defects, and cancer [1].

Now buying organic is a personal choice, and not everything you buy has to be organic, check out EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen as they update their list of the recommend produce they recommend buying organically, if possible as well as the conventional ones that are safer to buy.

So grab some beautiful summer organic tomatoes and let’s get cooking!

Summer Gazpacho Ingredients

Serves 6-8

2-2.25 lb. Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced

2 Persian Cucumbers, peeled and chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper, roughly chopped

½-1 Jalapeño Pepper, diced (opt)

2 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

1/4-1/2 cup Cool Filtered Water

1/2 cup EVOO, plus more for pan and garnish

1.5 tsp Fine Sea Salt or Pink Salt

1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

How to Make Summer Gazpacho

1.  Rinse all the veggies with cool water and dry.

2.  Cut tomatoes into large slices and add to a food processor or blender*. 

3.  Peel the cucumbers, cut into chunks and add them to the tomatoes.

4.  Dice the bell pepper and jalapeño and add them with the garlic to the tomatoes.

5.  Add the water, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and purée on high speed until there are no large chunks left.

6.  Reduce speed and drizzle in the EVOO.

7. Transfer to a glass pitcher or container and refrigerate** 4-6 hours before serving.

*For a chunky (my favorite) gazpacho, use a food processor. For a smooth gazpacho use a blender and strain the soup through a mesh strainer

**Short Cut :: Skip the refrigeration by cooling all your produce down before you make the soup!!

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FAQs

Q: Is it normal for gazpacho to separate?

A: Yes, completely normal, just give it a quick stir and enjoy!

Q: How long does gazpacho last?

A: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Q: Can you freeze leftover gazpacho?

A: Yes! Just use a freezer safe container or ice cube trays to freeze homemade gazpacho.

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