This year I'm making an effort to eat in season. I took one look at my local Aldi ad and knew what cold soup was in store for this week's lunches! There are many variations but I'm sticking with a basic recipe that is to be enjoyed cold or room temperature. Maybe with an egg salad sandwich on the side?
Make sure your ingredients are ripe and tasty as there will be no cooking to mask undesirable quality.
Lunchbox Gazpacho
Fills approximately five Half Pint Jars
Ingredients
1.5 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped*
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TB red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 slice bread, crust removed
salt and pepper to taste
*The easiest way to peel the tomatoes is to cut a small X in the skin about an inch wide. Place them in boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of ice water. The skin will slip right off! Cut them in half width wise and gently squeeze out the seeds.
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. If your vegetables don't release enough moisture you can add a few tablespoons water. Garnish with cucumber, mint, cilantro, parsley, basil, or croutons.
