CFDC Kitchen Corner: A No Cook Recipe

As summer approaches, there are a few things that I love to make. One of them, in fact, is Paleo/Zone, and is easy to make. There is no cooking, just chopping, blending, and straining.  It is the Spanish soup, Gazpacho. This is the traditional recipe from Andalucía that my aunt has given me. (This recipe can be altered to suit your taste.)

Ingredients:

• 4 large and very ripe tomatoes
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 peeled cucumber
• ½-1 green pepper
• 1-3 garlic cloves (depending how much you love garlic or how much others like to smell it on you)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive Oil approximately ½ cup or so
• 1/5 of stale French bread (for those who do the Zone)

***The bread is just to bind the soup. If you don’t use the bread, then you will just have to stir the soup before serving.

Now, here is the tricky part.  Roughly chop that veggies (and bread, if desired), blend, and strain. You will not be able to do all the vegetables at once, so just do them in batches. The only trick I have is to add the olive oil as you are blending, just like make a salad dressing.

Garnish with the above vegetables, harder boiled eggs, and even small cubes of ham.

Go ahead and play with this recipe. My brother, Sebastian, loves to add red bell pepper. I prefer it simple and traditional. I am sure that you all will discover what you love in this soup. Enjoy!