Creamy Green Gazpacho

Dear reader,

My first experience with Gazpacho was about a decade ago. Blaise, my then boyfriend, now husband, expertly made and delivered this chilled soup to my door after I underwent a dental procedure. This Spanish soup is traditionally made with ripe tomatoes and green peppers. Every Gazpacho is unique, depending what ingredients you choose to focus on. I enjoy mine on the creamier side, with loads of fresh herbs and bright acidity from the green tomatoes. Three bits to keep in mind when making your own Gazpacho:

1. Seasoning. Be sure to season it generously with salt and pepper in order to make each individual ingredient really pop.
2. Emulsify the oil into the soup: Using a very thin stream, add the oil into the soup slowly while blending. This method will give the soup a creamier mouthfeel and keep it from separating.
3. Let it chill: Like a good beer, the colder you can serve your gazpacho, the better.

This chilled Creamy Green Gazpacho can be thrown together with just a blender, a handful of fresh produce, and a few pantry ingredients. Serve it with ice to keep it chilled, and make it fancy with an edible petal or two. Eyes eat first, afterall.

Let us raise a glass (or a bowl) to Blaise, and to cool, refreshing soup for those toasty, summer nights.

Until next time,

Bridget

Need more cold snacks and apps? This soup pairs perfectly with my Vegan Chickpea Caesar Salad, Lemony White Bean and Asparagus Salad, or chilled Chocolate Covered Cherry Power Bars if you’re looking for something on the sweeter side.

Creamy Green Gazpacho

Cool, refreshing flavors for those toasty, summer nights. This chilled Creamy Green Gazpacho can be thrown together with just a blender, a handful of fresh produce, and a few pantry staples. Serve with ice to keep it cold, and make it fancy with an edible petal or two. Eyes eat first, afterall.

Be prepared to impress yourself and your guests with this simple, summer soup.

Servings 6 poeople

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 Vitamix, or any high speed blender
• 1 Ice-cube tray

Ingredients

• 4-5 large *green tomatoes To ensure that the green tomatoes are ripe and ready to use, touch the bottom- it should be quite soft when gently pressed. I also like to throw in a tomatillo for an extra punch of bright acidity.
• 2 cups fresh spinach, washed and patted dry
• 2 cups destemmed fresh herbs including: basil, mint, parsley, and/or cilantro.
• 1 english cucumber deseeded and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2-3 green peppers, deseeded.: I use one jalapeno (for spice), one anaheim, and one poblano
• ¼ cup plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3-4 cups cold, filtered water
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt, or season to taste *you must be very generous with the salt in order to really bring out all of the delicious flavors
• ground black pepper, season to taste

To Garnish

• ¼ cup *edible flower petals
• ice cubes
• chopped basil
• extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

To Make Flower Petal Ice Cubes

• Fill an ice cube tray with water and sprinkle the edible flower petals in each cube. Place in the freezer and freeze until it is solid.

To Make the Gazpacho

• Place all of the soup ingredients except water, oil and seasonings into the blender. Blend it halfway, then add water slowly, blending between each addition until you have reached a smooth, silky, soup consistency.
• Next, emulsify the oil into the soup. Using a very thin stream, add the oil into the soup slowly while blending. This method will give the soup a creamier mouthfeel and keep it from separating.
• Mix in a generous amount of salt and pepper, taste the soup, and add additional seasoning as needed.
• Chill the soup in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or until you're ready to serve.
• To serve, pour the soup into the serving bowls, top with 1-2 flower ice cubes per person, then garnish with chopped fresh basil or mint leaves, fresh cracked pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

Ingredients to make your life easier:

1. Green tomatoes: To ensure that the green tomatoes are ripe and ready to use, touch the bottom- it should be quite soft when gently pressed. 
2. Edible flowers: you can find these typically at your local farmers market, Whole Foods where the packaged fresh herbs are located, on amazon, or order from a specialty site. Some of the tastiest edible flowers are: Honeysuckle, Zucchini Blossoms, Lilacs, Roses, Nasturtiums, Hibiscus, Pansies, and Lavender.

Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: Spanish

Keyword: Gazpacho, Green, Soup, Summer