Fresh Homemade Gazpacho
There is nothing better than finding a great farmers market while traveling. The place is filled with fresh local organic produce if you are lucky. A few more stalls down and you might even find some fresh crusty bread. For Ginny and me there is nothing like garden-fresh cool Gazpacho with a dollop of sour cream on a hot summer nite of camping. Add crab cakes to the mix and you have a perfect dinner combination.
Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, fresh basil, and green peppers will be on your priority list for this recipe. For the sake of RV travel quickness, the time I quote is for the Gazpacho only. I have included the complete recipe as we prepare it at home. We make fresh croutons to top the Gazpacho off, I would add at least an additional 25 mins to the prep. Your cook time will be approximately 15mins more. This typically is not practical on an RV. Store-bought or make-ahead prior to travel are just fine.
The Italian vinaigrette dressing I would highly recommend you make from scratch. It is a delicious blend of herbs and spices. You can substitute your favorite bottled Italian vinaigrette to make this even easier to assemble on your rig
Gazpacho
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
GAZPACHO:
- 1/2 green pepper finely diced
- 1 large cucumber peeled, seeded, and finely diced (¼” cubes)
- 1 piece pimiento finely diced OR 2 oz. Jar diced pimiento, drained
- 1/2 large onion finely diced
- 3 tbsp. parsley finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. basil finely chopped
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 1 cup Italian vinaigrette dressing(see below a good quality bottled Italian dressing
- 6 large tomatoes peeled and seeded, OR a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup tomato juice we use 2 12oz cans of V8 to give it more liquid
- salt & pepper to taste
- garnish with a dollop of sour cream & a few croutons
ITALIAN VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- A dash of ground cumin
BLESSING aka Olive Oil Marinade:
- 1 large garlic clove peeled
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
CROUTONS:
- 4 ½ cups of ½” bread cubes
- 1/4 cup of Chef Larry’s Blessing
Instructions
GAZPACHO -
- Combine cucumber, green pepper, pimiento, & onion in a large bowl with parsley, basil & garlic.
- Mix in Italian vinaigrette dressing(see below)
- Coarsely chop tomatoes and add to soup with tomato juice (or V8)
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Chill until ready to serve
- Serve in bowl garnished with a dollop of sour cream and a few croutons
ITALIAN Vinaigrette Dressing- Yield: 1 cup
- In a bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Refrigerate.
HOMEMADE CROUTONS w/Chef Larry’s Blessing aka Olive Oil Marinade
BLESSING aka Olive Oil Marinade Yield: 1¼ cups of blessing
- In blender, emulsify garlic and olive oil.
- Add spices, then turn blender on and off intermittently to mix thoroughly.
- Store covered at room temperature until ready to use.
- **"Blessing" will keep for about 1 week. Use blessing to: Baste grilled veggies, Toss with salad greens & croutons, Marinate meats, fish or fowl before grilling.
CROUTONS Yield: 4 cups
- Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet & drizzle with blessing.
- Toast in 350F oven until golden brown.
- Cool and store in airtight container until ready to use.
