Living in Florida, I don’t find myself warming up to a hot bowl of soup very often like I did when I lived up north. My Easy Blender Gazpacho is a big hit even in our coldest months here in Florida. I can make it a day in advance since it needs to be chilled for serving which makes it fantastic for entertaining. Traditional recipes use bread (believe it or not) to thicken the soup, but that’s not the case here. This recipe is gluten free and very allergy friendly! Light and healthy too! And it is so much more than a cold tomato soup! I add smoky chipotle powder, a zip of lime and balsamic vinegar, plenty of spices and a little heat from jalapenos too. Top it with diced avocado, sour cream and fresh basil for even more flavor.
Just a Little Prep
Rinse your vegetables and basil. Cut the cucumber and peppers in half and remove and discard the seeds. Finely dice about ¼ of the cucumber and bell pepper. Finely slice one scallion. Mix these three in a small bowl and reserve them for garnish. Reserve a small amount of basil for garnish and thinly slice it.
Blender Magic
Roughly chop the jalapeno and remaining cucumber, scallions and bell pepper. Place these along with the remaining ingredients into your blender. Not all Worcestershire Sauces are gluten free, so be sure to check the label. I use Lea & Perrins brand. Blend at a high speed until smooth and combined well. Taste and re-season if needed. That’s it!!! Hard to believe right?
Toppings
I like to add diced avocado, fresh basil, a little of the chopped cucumber mixture and/or maybe a dollop of sour cream. You could also add a little crunch with some gluten free croutons or crushed crackers. A drizzle of truffle oil is also fantastic if you are a fan of it. When I serve this for a crowd, I put all of the toppings in small bowls around the Easy Blender Gazpacho so my friends and family can customize their bowl how they want it.
More Gluten Free Soups
Looking for a hot soup? Check out my gluten free Matzo Ball Soup, Italian Wedding Soup or Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. A bit heartier than a soup, check out my Crockpot Irish Beef Stew.
Make it a Meal!
Add Kim’s Salad, Peggy’s Salad, Audrey’s Salad, Fiesta Salad, Thai Chopped Salad or Veggie Feta Pasta Salad to for a light meal. For something heartier try my Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Pizza Grilled Cheese or Truffle Egg Salad sandwiches.
Easy Blender Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 4 pints grape tomatoes approximately 8 cups
- 1 medium English cucumber
- 1 large bell pepper any color
- 1 bunch scallions
- 2 small jalapenos
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt less if using fine salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp ground chipotle powder
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce gluten free, I use Lea & Perrins
- ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a spoon. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Trim the roots and ends of the green portion of the scallions.
- Finely dice ¼ of the cucumber, ¼ of the bell pepper and thinly slice 1 scallion. Place all in a small bowl. Mix to combine and set aside for garnish.
- Cut the stems and remove seeds from the jalapenos. Place in a blender with all remaining ingredients. Blend on the highest speed until all ingredients are as smooth as possible. Pour into a large serving bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled through.
- When ready to serve, top with diced cucumber mixture, basil and avocado if desired. Enjoy!