Summer Soup {Green Gazpacho}

On a hot day, nothing makes for a better meal than a chilled bowl of gazpacho; it is a staple in our house throughout the sweltering months of the year!

As we continue to look at things to love about summer, I wanted share two of our favorite recipes for this classic Spanish soup, starting today with a Mexican-inspired variation-- Green Gazpacho.

Green Gazpacho- Serves 4-5
(from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen)
Ingredients

-3 green tomatoes (3-inch diameter) or the least ripe you can find, cored and chopped.
- 1 medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium (7-inch) cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium (4-inch) avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- A handful of parsley
- A handful of cilantro
- 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 juicy limes)
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 to 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon. red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 1 cup cold water
- black pepper, to taste
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- Optional: tortilla chips for the top

Directions
1. Combine everything in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor, until reasonably smooth.
3. Transfer to bowl with lid and chill until very cold*
4. Serve plain or topped with tortilla chips

* For E and I, the leftovers are always enjoyed chilled, but rarely is the initial bowl enjoyed that way! Often we want to eat it immediately, so we dig right in-- room temperature and all. Also, this recipe is one that easily doubles.

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I will share the second recipe, a more traditional take on gazpacho, in the coming weeks.