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September 8, 2021

Season of Creation – Healthy Eating Challenge – Gazpacho

September 1 – October 4 is the Season of Creation!

An ecumenical, or unified Christian Church celebration, in which according to SeasonofCreation.org, “the world’s 2.3 billion Christians are called to ‘dwell in our common home,’ to truly love and appreciate that sense of place that we should feel in creation…Pope Francis and the Vatican call on all Catholics to take part in the ecumenical Season of Creation.”

For the Season of Creation, let’s all take up a healthy diet challenge! #EatfortheEarth #CaringConsumption

If you’re not familiar with gazpacho, it’s a chilled soup that originated in Andalucía, Spain. Traditional recipes call for tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and bread, which thickens the soup. This recipe isn’t entirely authentic, but it has a lot in common with Spanish gazpacho. Tomatoes, cucumber, and olive oil make up its vibrant red base, garlic adds bite, and red wine vinegar gives it a delicious tang. It is the perfect starter or snack for hot days and when tomatoes are at their peak in season.

Ingredients

· 2 medium cucumbers (remove seeds)

· 1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped (you can leave the skin)

· 1 chili pepper, or ½ red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded

· ¼ small red onion, peeled and rinsed

· 2 small garlic cloves (peeled)

· ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (not necessary if you don’t have)

· 1½ tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

· ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

· 1 teaspoon sea salt

· ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

· Small cherry tomatoes(halved), or fresh herbs, or 1 hard-boiled egg for garnish

 

Instructions

1. Finely chop ¼ of a cucumber and reserve for garnish.

2. Peel the remaining cucumber, remove large seeds, cut into chunks, and transfer to a blender. Add the tomatoes, pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Season to taste and chill for at least 2 hours.

3. Serve the soup with the reserved diced cucumber, fresh herbs, drizzles of olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper.

 

 

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this gazpacho recipe two ways: in a glass or in a bowl. Drink it for a light lunch or appetizer. I like to garnish my bowl with diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil. But you could also use croutons, chopped hard-boiled eggs or avocado as delicious toppings.

 

Recipe courtesy Nicole Roberts