Hopefully like me, you are willing the sun to stick around. I’m dreaming of sun-filled afternoons in the garden and going on summer holiday somewhere, anywhere warm. This recipe is inspired by my love of summer holidays in Spain, where I drink gazpacho by the litre. After all, I don’t eat meat, so this is one of the few dishes I can safely eat and not worry about sneaky jamón (though, it has happened). But seriously, I love it. There is just something so unctuous about the flavour combination and there is of course the nostalgia–I spent a large part of my 20s speaking bad Spanish in Spain. In developing this recipe, I realised that gazpacho isn’t just delicious, but nutritionally packed full of vitamins and minerals. Though this recipe is for a slightly less traditional variation, it still tastes of sun and is probably an even better hangover cure than a carton of Don Simón’s.
Enjoy!
Gorgeous Green Gazpacho
There is just some so delicious and refreshing about the combination of sun-ripened tomatoes, cooling cucumber, fresh herbs and subtle heat. Not only is gazpacho refreshing, but packed full of nutrients. Tomatoes are nutrient rich, providing an excellent source of Vitamin C, biotin, and Vitamin K. They are also a very good source of copper, potassium, manganese, dietary fibre, Vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), Vitamin B6, folate, niacin, Vitamin E and phosphorus. Cucumber is of course, refreshing, but also a good source of silica, a mineral that is good for bone and connective tissue health as well as long list of other vitamins and minerals. Avocados provide a great source of omega-3s and good source of fat that our bodies need to maintain health and they also help to make this a creamy, and more filling soup. In short, this is a refreshing, vitamin and mineral packed soup perfect for cooling off and reminiscing of summer holidays in Spain.
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a starter
400g ripe, green tomatoes (I used a mixture of green and yellow), roughly chopped
1 ½ limes, juiced
2 large, ripe avocados
200g cucumber, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 serrano chilli, roughly chopped (with or without seeds depending on your preference)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp sherry vinegar
3-4 sprigs of tarragon, chopped
Small handful of basil, chopped with stems
Generous handful of coriander, chopped with stems
Good drizzle of olive oil
Salt to taste
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp smoked paprika
1tsp Aleppo chilli
2 limes, cut into 4 cheeks
Finely diced cucumber and coriander to serve
- Using a food processor, blend the tomatoes and lime juice.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend until well combined.
- Add salt to taste.
- Grind the seeds, paprika and chilli and set aside for garnishing along with chopped cucumber, lime cheeks and extra coriander.
