[Food Series] Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Summer is HERE in Southern California and in honor of the fact that it will be 95 degrees today, I made Gazpacho! I had every intention of doing an Asiago cheese crostini on the side, but we were so hungry that I just tore off a piece of rustic bread and called it a day! HA! This recipe is SO easy, there's no reason you can't have this staple in a pitcher in your fridge all summer long! Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes
4 celery stalks
4 small persian cucumbers, peeled

1/4 red bell pepper

1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp red onion
1 avocado
1/3 cup of olive oil
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Finely dice the first 6 ingredients and toss them into the food processor and top it off with the juice of 1 lime and a bit of salt and pepper. Pulse the processor just a few times while adding olive oil. Chill, then serve with a garnish of sliced avocado (and feel free to add any fresh herbs you have on hand! Cilantro or Basil are two of our favs!) Voila! That is literally it! 10 Minutes, TOPS! Enjoy with a great Sauvignon Blanc!

A few side notes:
I prefer my gazpacho chunky, so I truly only pulse my processor for about 5 - 10 seconds, but if you like a creamier consistency, feel free to puree it, then you can add a variety of chunky garnishes on top!

Also, I know many gazpacho recipes call for some sort of heat, whether it's jalapenos or tabasco, but my hubby does not do well with spicy food, so we leave that part out. Feel free to add heat to your liking!

A great variation on this recipe that we love is roasting the tomatoes and red bell peppers! It adds a smokier flavor to the soup. If you want to try this way, I would recommend adding a tablespoon or two of sherry vinegar to balance the heightened sugars from roasting.