Gazpacho Recipe

Here is a northerner's version of gazpacho, a traditional Spanish soup served cold. It's a perfectly refreshing way to use fresh summer vegetables.

Ingredients

3 large tomatoes, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
½ medium-size red onion, diced
¼ cup diced Kalamata olives, about 4 to 6 olives
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, diced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, diced (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, diced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 (46-ounce) can reduced-sodium tomato juice
¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Croutons or breadsticks

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands.

1. Combine all the ingredients, except croutons or breadsticks, in a large bowl. Stir well.
2. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with croutons.

Cooking Note

Substitute an equal volume of vegetable juice (regular or spicy) for the tomato juice.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 cup
Serves 8

Calories: 190; Total fat: 13g; Saturated fat: 2.5g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 440mg; Total carbohydrates: 17g; Dietary fiber: 5g; Protein: 5g