Easy end-of-summer soup or salad: Gazpacho

One of my favorite times of year is the end of summer, when farmers markets are just overflowing with the most amazing produce. Fresh heirloom tomatoes, lots of peppers, cucumbers, lettuces of every imaginable variety and this is just the beginning.

Who wants to cook at this time of year? The days are still long, school is starting, but fall hasn’t quite settled in yet.

It’s time to pull out an old classic: gazpacho. We use it as both a soup and a salad, as a full meal, a snack, or a tasty side. It’s so versatile and yummy. Try it out!

What you’ll need:

Cutting board

A good knife (like this)

A big bowl

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper, seeds left in if you like it spicy
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 small cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh or canned chopped tomatoes (like this), puréed — or leave them diced if you’re going for more salad, less soup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 avocado, diced
1 cup soaked and cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 cup boxed, well rinsed)

Directions:

Chop the yellow pepper, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, red onion, garlic, and parsley. Chop finely by hand or, to save time, use the food processor.
Put all finely chopped vegetables in a bowl.
If you’re eating this as a soup, purée the tomatoes in the blender, and add to the bowl with the rest of the veggies. If eating this as a salad, just add the tomatoes to the bowl.
Add lemon juice, salt, diced avocado and garbanzo beans. Stir well.
Store in the refrigerator or eat immediately. This dish is best when it’s been kept chilled overnight – this allows the flavors to meld together nicely. Handy tip: if you’re going to let it chill overnight, don’t add the avocado in until you serve it. That will keep it freshest.