Farmer’s Market Gazpacho (Raw-Vegan) & Perspective

Aug 17, 2011
Posted by on Aug 17, 2011 in all, cooking with kids, soups & starters, vegetarian / vegan | One Comment

“Are you making sauce?” Julia asks.

“It’s actually soup,” I say.

“Actually, it’s ketchup,” Will says.  He’s 4 and everything is better with ketchup.

“It’s soup.”

“The cold one?” Julia raises her eyebrows while I nod.  “It still looks like sauce. You could use it as sauce.”

And thus, the gazpacho sauce was borne.  We had it on raw summer squash ribbons.  We dumped it on noodles.  And we drank it as soup. Sometimes, kids give you the perspective you need in order to reframe your life or your day or your work issue.  Other times, like this morning, they wake you up before the alarm, scream at each other and demand you break up the arguments about who flicked who, and test out every inappropriate word they know and have to miss the sleepover because of it.  Oh well.

Try some soup-sauce and chill, Mom.

Farmer's Market Gazpacho

This chunky, hearty gazpacho can be eaten right away or savored over a week. The combination of tomatoes really makes a difference. I like to keep the gazpacho hearty and the vegetables identifiable, but if you prefer a smoother soup as above, puree half of it or all of it. All of the measurements are flexible – add more tomatoes, fewer onions, green peppers, or more dill – up to you. My version is more like a liquid salad with sunbursts of colors rather than a traditional soup.

2 large cucumbers, halved lengthwise and seeded

Bunch of fresh dill

2 onions, chopped

3 peppers (one red, orange, and yellow), cut and seeded

1 28 oz. good quality whole peeled tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes (not the kind with basil in)

2 fresh larger tomatoes in season (plum/heirloom, or any local)

1 pint cherry or globe tomatoes

1 small can tomato juice

2 tbsp. cold water

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup good olive oil

splash red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, crushed

sea salt and pepper to taste

Peel the cucumber, slice it lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. If you use an English cucumber, the skin is thin enough to keep on. Chop up the larger fresh tomatoes and halve the cherry or globe, seeding casually (meaning, using your thumb, get some of the seeds out but don't be fanatical about it). Put tomatoes into a large bowl. Cut the peppers, cucumbers, and onions into bite-sized pieces and add to bowl. Mince the garlic and add it to the vegetables, stirring gently by hand. Chop a handful of dill and add it (you may use leftover whole sprigs for garnish). Add cans of tomatoes, reserving the liquid from the cans. Cut up the whole canned tomatoes, and add. Stir in lemon juice, tomato juice, vinegar, water, olive oil, into the mix and salt and pepper to salt.

If you want a more liquidy soup, add some of the reserved can juice. Otherwise, keep it thick, add the Worcestershire sauce, mix with a spoon, and cover in the fridge for a few hours. The soup will pick up flavor as it sits (the next day it will be great). Add drizzle of olive oil to each portion if you like and serve cold with homemade croutons if desired.

1 comment

  1. Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
    August 18, 2011

    I love gazpacho soup, but have never tried making it. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll stash it for if and when our tomato plants ever fruit. I can’t help thinking that a dash of vodka would help this the ultimate mother’s chill-out tipple.. 🙂

    Reply

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