Chilled Soup for Summer

Cold soup?! This is the response I got from a family member recently when I served gazpacho as a nice refreshing starter to a meal recently. Although it wasn’t a hit with this particular family member (sometimes family can be so hard to please!), I personally love chilled soups in the summer! I don’t heat up my house by using the oven or stove, and I get to use up all the veggies in my fridge!

The great thing about many soup recipes is they can be really healthy, easy to make and quite filling. Soups are a great way to get lots of nutrients into your body – this particular recipe has several servings of vegetables per bowl! Pair it with a grilled chicken breast done on the BBQ and you’ve got yourself a perfect meal!

Gazpacho

• 1 red pepper, seeded

• 1 can of tomatoes (or 3-4 whole tomatoes)

• 1 English cucumber

• ¼ to ½ Spanish onion

• 1 box of chicken broth

• ½ cup olive oil

• handful fresh herbs of your choice

• 1 clove garlic

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• juice of half a lemon

• salt and pepper, fresh herbs and hot sauce/cayenne to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Chill several hours. Optional: serve garnished with a few croutons, diced green onions and diced cucumbers.