Classic Gazpacho

A Soup-erb Summer Staple

Whenever there is gazpacho on a menu, I am one happy dietitian.  It is flavorful, filling, and refreshing!  I love it so much that I started making my own (super easy) version that definitely holds up to my high gazpacho standards.  Not only is this dish cold and hydrating for hot summer days but it is also packed with vitamin C and antioxidants that help to fight skin damage from the sun.  This dish pairs deliciously well with these zucchini sticks.

Serves 1 (double, triple, quadruple as needed)

Ingredients:

• 1 large tomato, cut into chunks
• 1/2 a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1/4 strip of yellow or red bell pepper, chopped (optional: dice some extra pepper for garnish)
• 1 small clove of garlic, grated
• 1/4 tsp. of sherry vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. of red-wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. hemp hearts, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, puree tomato until almost smooth. Add cucumber, pepper, garlic, vinegars, and oil. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Pulse until mostly smooth. (Personally, I like my gazpacho to have some texture, so I keep it pulpy)
2. Chill soup in refrigerator for 30 minutes (or up until 8 hours if making ahead of time). Adjust seasoning as needed.  Thin soup texture by adding water if needed. Add soup to bowl and sprinkle with hemp hearts on top.