Cold Soup on a Hot Day

We all know that we need to eat our vegetables, especially raw veggies, but sometimes it seems hard to fit that in. I find it helpful to make dishes that will last for more than one meal. Gazpachos are certainly one of these types of foods.

Here is a great recipe with 3 key summer veggies you can find in your garden or any farmers market. Cucumber, green pepper, and of course, ripe and red summer tomatoes.

My mom is from New Jersey and as you Cheap Vegans probably know, I’ve spent a lot of time in Spain, the combination sets the scene for the perfect tomato feast. Tomatoes are great for your bones, your cholesterol and of course your skin. Research has shown the lycopene in tomatoes can even act as a natural sunscreen (see article here).

Below is a recipe I got from a brilliant cook outside of Barcelona. We just attempted it tonight and I have to say we got it pretty darn close to the original.

Authentic Spanish Tomato Gazpacho

•  5-7 fist size tomato
• 1 cucumber 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 1 onion
• 1 green pepper
• 2 cups water
• a splash of olive oil and sherry vinegar 
• salt to taste

 Scald tomatoes in boiling water and peel skin/remove seeds. Blend all ingredients in a blender. Refrigerate for 24 hours and enjoy. If I made it again I may have skipped the scalding process just to see what happened. We didn’t peel the cucumber and it still was excellent.