When temps get as insanely high as they have been here in Philly for the last few days two things happen:
1. I become functionally delayed and constantly tired.
2. I make a huge batch of gazpacho.
Gazpacho is the ideal hotter-than-Hades meal. It’s served cold, can easily be pulled together from readily available items, it’s best eaten chilled, it’s flavors only get richer when it’s given some time to rest in the fridge, can go straight from said fridge to bowl and only requires chopping and no heat to prepared. This is a casual recipe, measurements aren’t critical and you can really use the base as a starting point to find your favorite gazpacho mix. I myself have a few varieties but this is the easiest and most traditional.
Gazpacho:
Ingredients:
- 1 Pint Cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 32 oz Tomato juice
- 3-4 Green onions, sliced thin
- 3-4 Large tomatoes, diced small
- 1 Bell pepper, stem & seeds removed and diced
- 2 Large seedless cucumber, peeled and diced
- 2/3 c Fresh corn, cooked
- 1 C Day- old bread, crusts removed and cut thinly
- 2 Tbs Cilantro, minced
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Salt – if you can get your hands on smoked salt DO IT!
- 1 clove Garlic, minced (optional)
- 1 Small jalapeno (optional)
- You can also use a can of diced tomatoes that has the pepper added in.
- 1 Can of black beans, rinsed (optional)
Directions:
- Put everything in a large bowl, preferably one that has a cover or that plastic wrap will stick to.
- Mix together, making sure the thinly sliced bread breaks up and is basically absorbed by the mixture.
- Put it in the fridge and let it rest for a couple of hours. If you can’t wait go ahead and break out a bowl but it won’t be as delicious as it will be in a few hours.
- Serve alone or with a garnish of sliced avocado or greek yogurt.