Gazpacho With Walnuts & Parsley
Soups are a really easy way to consume a variety of nutrients and use up left over veggies in the fridge, however as the weather gets warmer it certainly feels less enticing to enjoy a warming bowl of the good stuff. This is where Gazpacho comes into play! It’s refreshing, healthy and very easy to make. If you’re looking to follow a Mediterranean style diet, this contains all the right components – tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, garlic, red peppers, coriander, and extra virgin olive oil.
To serve: 4
Ingredients
1kg ripe tomatoes, chopped, cores discarded
1 large cucumber, about 1, cut into chunks
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ small red onion, roughly diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp salt
180ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
small handful coriander leaves
grind of pepper
Garnish:
chopped cucumber
toasted walnuts
fresh parsley leaves
Method
1. Start breaking down the vegetables by adding the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, and garlic into a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, toss them well with the salt and set aside for at least half an hour. This process of breaking them down is called maceration
2. Add the vegetables and any juices created into a blender along with the olive oil, vinegar, coriander & pepper. Blend until a smooth and creamy mixture has been formed. Taste and add any seasoning if required.
3. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours, or freezer to chill for 30 minutes.
4. Serve with some fresh coriander leaves, toasted walnuts and any reserved small cucumber chunks.
