Easy Summer (Blender!) Gazpacho with Penny Panko

Easy Summer (Blender!) Gazpacho with Penny Panko

It's hot. Too hot. When I go to make lunch or dinner nothing sounds better than a bowl of Pennies cold, refreshing gazpacho - and added bonus - I can use all the gorgeous homegrown tomatoes my mom just dropped off (thanks, Mom!).

Gazpacho used to intimidate me - until I found this recipe on Food & Wine for blender gazpacho. Yep. No need to lug out the massive food processor.

Including the recipe below with my notes.

Ingredients

- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped, or one 28-ounce can best-quality plum tomatoes, chopped (I think I used more than this - more like 3.5 lbs. Basically use what you've got. Peeling and seeding was a mess, but weirdly satisfying!)

- 1 medium onion, preferably a sweet variety such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, coarsely chopped (I used a big Vidalia because I couldn't find scallions at my grocery store)

- 1 large cucumber, peeled (I used an English cucumber)

- 1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (I used a whole pepper, seeded of course)

- 1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped (again, I used the whole thing)

- 2 scallions, coarsely chopped (I omitted, nbd)

- 2 to 3 garlic cloves (Use fresh, if you can. I'm all about cooking with jarred minced garlic but the fresh matters in this soup)

- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar (I used balsamic but would've used sherry if I had it - according to the interwebs, it improves the flavor of any gazpacho)

- 1 to 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1/2 to 1 cup chilled tomato juice

- Salt and freshly ground black pepper

- Croutons, chopped fresh herbs, sliced scallions or diced avocado, for garnish And here's where it made all the difference - TOP WITH PENNY PANKO. Seriously, life-changing. And it makes the meal even more filling/satisfying.

    Directions

    1. In a large bowl, stir together the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, bell peppers, scallions and garlic. (I tried just combing it in the blender to start but it's too bulky to blend properly at first, so use the bowl.)

    2. Working in 2-cup batches, whirl the mixture in a blender until finely chopped but not pureed. Return the mixture to the bowl and stir in the oil, vinegar, hot pepper sauce and cumin. Add enough of the cold tomato juice to make the gazpacho soupy but not too thin. Season generously with salt and black pepper. (I add about 1 tsp of salt)

    3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the soup until very cold, at least a couple of hours or for up to 2 days. Stir the gazpacho and ladle it into bowls, or pour it at the table from a wide-mouth pitcher. And sprinkle generously with Penny Panko!

       

      Stay cool and Stay Cheesin!

      Katie (Becca's sister)

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