Though summer is officially over as of today, I’m still basking in the beauty of its fresh, seasonal produce thanks to my weekly deliveries from From the Farmer. For most, soup and summer aren’t exactly two peas in a pod. There is, however, one exception to this dissonance–gazpacho. Gazpacho is technically any cold soup using raw vegetables and thus technically, as you’ll see, mine is not a purist’s gazpacho.
Last summer, I made another gazpacho on the blog that was a little more hearty and classic in its preparation and flavor profiles. This time around I wanted to usher in fall by adding a little more warmth and depth to this otherwise light and refreshing soup–don’t worry, it still delivers on those fronts too. By grilling the peaches and roasting the vegetables you bring out the natural sweetness of the produce and infuse the finished dish with a little je ne sais quoi.
This gazpacho, much like my last, is still loaded with heart-healthy tomatoes. Tomatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C, folate, potassium and, perhaps most significantly, the antioxidant compound lycopene. Lycopene has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and certain kinds of cancer.
Summer Peach Gazpacho
{makes 8 servings}
what you’ll need.
- 2 large ripe peaches
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 8 ripe tomatoes (roma, plum or small/medium round ones will do)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2-3 cups of water (depending on your preferred consistency)
- 2 jalapenos
- 1 red onion
- 1 large bunch fresh cilantro
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 avocado
- 2 Tbs sherry vinegar
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: add 1-3 tsp cumin for a smoky flavor
how to make it.
- Preheat oven to 500 F.
- While oven is preheating, cut peaches in half and remove pit. Rub the cut side with a little olive oil. On a grill pan (or grill if you have one), grill peaches (cut side down) for 2-3 minutes over high heat.
- Toss jalapenos, garlic and tomatoes in 2 Tbs of olive oil and a little salt and pepper, and roast for about 10 minutes. This will vary depending on your oven, but look for the jalapenos to start to brown and the skin on them and the tomatoes should start to crack and possibly blister. Set aside to cool.
- While roasting veggies/letting them cool you can…(1) Prep your onion. Chop it in half. Set one half aside and dice the other into small pieces for garnish. (2) Wash and dry your cilantro. Set one cup (or a hearty handful) aside, stems and all. Chop another 1/2 cup for garnish, stems removed. (3) Zest one lemon, then juice it and one more (do this directly into your blender to save on clean-up). (4) Leave one half of your bell pepper whole, seeds removed. Dice the other half into small pieces for garnish. (5) Halve, pit and dice your avocado for garnish.
- When jalapenos are cool enough to handle, remove the stem and slice them lengthwise so you can get all the seeds out.
- Combine all ingredients (except those designated “garnish”) in a blender with 2-3 cups of water depending on your preferred consistency.
Note: this gets better the longer it sits in the fridge. It will store well for up to a week.
Second note: I like mine spicy so I usually leave about half the seeds from ONE jalapeno in. Any more than that and you should probably have some milk and cornbread on hand!