In South Florida, there are two seasons. Hot and swelter. Starting right around Memorial Day and usually lasting through November it’s swelter. That’s not an exaggeration. Hot is 85° and lower than 50% humidity. Swelter is 88° and humidity of 60-70% (that’s a feels like temp of mid-upper 90s). The kind of suffocating experience that immediately draws beads of sweat across your upper lip and a constant dribble of perspiration running down your back. Cold soups are made for this weather – and this refreshing Chunky Garden Gazpacho is sweat’s nemesis.
This simple soup is little more than chopping and blending. It starts with fresh garden vegetables, cut into a very small dice.
You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand for this gazpacho. On this day in my refrigerator there were hothouse cucumbers, a lone zucchini, several sweet bell peppers, corn and roma tomatoes — although — no — my tomatoes reside in the veggie bin on the counter. Do not EVER place a tomato in the refrigerator, unless mealy, flavorless produce is “your thing”.
Season up the vegetables with lots of fresh garlic, a little vinegar, olive oil and the juice of a whole lime.
Then add the tomato juice. I like to use low-sodium tomato juice or V-8 because too much sodium is a bad thing for blood pressure.
If you like really chunky gazpacho you can skip this next step, but I like to blend about half of the soup in the food processor. Eight or nine pulses will chop the vegetables a little finer and give the soup body.
Refrigerate the soup for several hours until it’s icy cold and the flavors have a chance to marry. You can even leave it in the fridge overnight for greater depth.
Just before serving, stir in some chopped cilantro.
And toast some sourdough bread crumbs for a crunchy topping to the chilled soup.
This is like summer in a bowl! It’s fresh and light with great texture. Serve it with some crusty bread and a chilled sauvignon blanc. It’s perfect for the oppressive heat, no sweat!
Chunky Garden Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper 1/4" dice
- 1/2 orange bell pepper 1/4" dice
- 1 large plum tomato 1/4" dice
- 1 medium zucchini 1/4" dice
- 1/2 hothouse cucumber 1/4" dice
- 1 large ear corn
- 1/2 cup white onion very finely diced
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
- 3 cups low-sodium tomato juice
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped +more for garnish
- 1 slice rustic sourdough bread for garnish (optional)
- favorite hot sauce for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers and tomato. Cut the kernels off the corn cob and add to the vegetable mixture. Stir in the white onion and garlic and add the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil and tomato juice. Stir to combine, cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Tear the bread into chunks and place them in a mini-prep food processor. Pulse several times until ragged, chunky bread crumbs form. Toss with olive oil and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy and lightly toasted.
- Just before serving, add cilantro and stir to combine. Spoon soup into bowls. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cilantro. Serve with hot sauce on the side.
Nutrition
Other Cool Summer Favorites:
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- Grilled Summer Salad
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- Chilled Vidalia Onion Soup
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- Mexican Chopped Salad
Any thoughts on if this will still be good two days later or do the tomatoes get funky? I want to make it ahead for a party but won’t have time, unless I make it two days prior.
I made a batch this summer and we ate it for two days afterwards. Since it’s not cooked and the vegetables in this gazpacho are pretty hearty, I would think it would be fine after two days.
Yummmmmmm
Loving this soup, packed with flavour and freshness. Living in Australia I totally embrace cold soups when the weather is hot. Nutritious, full of flavour and they cool you down from the inside. I will be giving your one a go when the weather warms up here again.
I imagine you suffer the same heat waves that we do if you live in Australia. Definitely keep this soup in your back pocket for those oppressive temperatures!
love the sourdough topping! what a fun addition
This sounds perfect! I can’t wait to have fresh veggies straight from my garden.
The fresher, the better!
What a yummy and healthy dish! I love how simple this is to make and how delicious it looks. Thanks for sharing!
I love a good hearty, chunky soup. This looks like it has soooo much flavor, and it’s so fresh and colorful!
Glad you like it, Erin!
I literally had gazpacho today but your version looks way better! Love all the chunks!
Gazpacho is one of my favorite summer soups. It’s so healthy and has so much flavor! This one looks delicious.
I have never made gazpacho! I will have bushels of tomatoes this summer so I’m saving this for later! Beautiful photos, as always, Lisa!
Thanks so much, Beth! Definitely try it this summer!
Gazpacho is the perfect summer soup taking advantage of the freshest ingrediants.
I only make the Spanish version of gazpacho but this one also looks delicious! Btw, I cannot stand swelter! Sometimes we have a humidity of 80-90% and it is not pleasant at all!
Would love to try you version!
Wow, I would not be able to cope in that kind of heat! I moan when it’s like 26C/78F here!! And I’m so pale I burn at the slightest hint of sun haha! I bet this gazpacho really his the spot on those super hot days!
It really does hit the spot! I recommend a high SPF and a wide brimmed hat for you!
Gazpacho is a delicious and perfect dish to enjoy on warmer (and sweltering) days. Your recipe sounds so tasty, with so many lovely ingredients. I do find that gazpacho is always better the next day, well chilled and as you say the flavours marry. I like that you mention low sodium, because I feel that this kind of gentle soup can be spoilt with too much salt or stock.