Creamy Gazpacho Soup

Spicy and fresh, this creamy gazpacho soup is a wonderful idea for a hot summer day. Easy to make and easy to eat... Want to learn where gazpacho came from? Check out our Gazpacho History page.

What you'll need:
- 1 1/2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled, seeded* and diced
- 1 medium white onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves large garlic, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped**
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- sour cream to taste

*Here's how to peel and seed a tomato: First, lightly score an 'x' into the bottom end with a sharp paring knife. Then drop the tomoto into boiling water for 30 seconds, or until skin just begins to tear. You'll need to remove it with a slotted spoon and immediately put into ice water. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, cut it in half and gently squeeze to remove the seeds.

**Here's the best way to work with jalapeños or other chiles: Capsaicin is the ingredient in chiles that causes the burning sensation associated with fresh peppers. When handling peppers or fresh chiles, it's a great idea to use rubber gloves. If you don't want to use gloves, be very careful not to touch any part of your body, especially your eyes. And after you've finished handling the chiles, make sure you wash your knife and cutting board with hot soapy water to ensure that there is no carry-over to other foods that may come in contact with the peppers.

What to do for creamy gazpacho soup:

1. Combine half of the tomatoes with the onion, cucumber and bell pepper in a large bowl.

2. In a blender or food processor, purée the remaining tomatoes with tomato juice, olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, and the salt and pepper. Stir the processed mixture into the vegetables, mix well and chill until served. Stir in desired amount of sour cream right before serving.

This delicious recipe serves 4 people.

More Gazpacho-style soups:

Chunky Gazpacho Soup
Garden Gazpacho Soup
Gazpacho Blanco Soup
Traditional Gazpacho Soup

For a more complete listing of soup recipe ideas, visit my Soup Recipe Index page.