Okay it’s not Summer just yet…9 more days to go. But that doesn’t mean it’s not getting hot out. This week I’ve been visiting my sis and it has been in the 80’s and 90’s every day. That meant I needed to find something to beat the heat and keep us going. As soon as I spotted this Tomato Strawberry Gazpacho recipe from the site Eatwell 101, which popped up on Pinterest, I knew I’d found my next recipe to try. I made gazpacho the first year of my blog adventures, but hadn’t since and I was definitely overdue for more gazpacho!
First off, this was just weird enough I had to try it. I feel like sometimes that what seals the deal for me on my culinary adventures, is when a recipe has me scratching my head and trying to imagine how it will taste. And I’m not sure I’d ever paired strawberries and tomatoes together and just had to give it a go.
There was a lot of vegetable chopping…you’ve been warned, but it was so worth it! Basically you remove the seeds from your tomatoes (I couldn’t find heirloom tomatoes, so I went with a nice looking vine-ripened variety) and dice them roughly. Then chop up a quarter of a red onion followed by one red bell pepper. Then remove the strawberry stems and give them a rough chop. Finally dice a small jalapeno (I removed the seeds).
Then comes the blender. Now a side note…I thought I was totally sold on the Vitamix blender. I’ve been using my mom’s over the last several months, but my sister’s Ninja may have just won me over. I loved that hers has blades at multiple levels that help to really puree the soup…sooo cool! (But I digress…) Pop all of the chopped veggies in the blender along with extra-virgin olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper. Not all of my vegetables fit in the blender, so I blended a little more than half of them and then added the rest and it worked like a charm.
Then refrigerate the soup for at least 30 minutes. As it’s refrigerating, the next part is key…making croutons!! (I’m not a huge fan of croutons, but these aren’t just any croutons…these were crouton sticks and were pretty awesome! All you need is a baguette and olive oil. Slice the baguettes into sticks, brush olive oil over each stick and bake. You’ll want to keep an eye on the croutons and take them out once they start to turn brown. Let the croutons cool and then it’s time to eat.
These flavors are lovely! There is a touch of sweetness from the strawberries and honey, which helps balance out the heat from the jalapenos and the acidity of the tomatoes, yet it’s still a pretty savory soup. Top the gazpacho with some chives, a couple of pieces of tomato and red onion slices and a drizzle of EVOO and you are all set. Seriously, this soup will make your stomach (and family) very happy!
I cannot wait for you to try this Tomato Strawberry Gazpacho. I love gazpacho in the warm months of the year as it gives you that soup consistency to make it comforting but is light, bright, and chilled to keep you cool. Click away for the recipe and step by step instructions!
(A big thanks to my sister for letting me invade her kitchen for a meal!!)
A look back:
One year ago: Pesto Shrimp with Snow Peas over Quinoa = Healthy & Fast!
Two years ago: It’s Pad Thai Time!
Three years ago: Mini Frittatas = Maximum Cuteness
Four years ago: Learning to Love Salad – Part 1: Greek Salad
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