5 Spice, 5 Minute Raw Gazpacho

It’s Cinco de Mayo!  And if nothing else, it’s a reason to celebrate the warmer weather with seasonal favorites and margaritas.  Maybe it’s the memories of a California childhood spent on our sunny patio, slurping chilled soup while butterflies and bumblebees whizzed around my spoon–but to me, nothing tastes more like summer, than gazpacho.  

It’s also, one of the easiest things in the world to make - requiring zero cook time, very few ingredients and super simple prep.  While many recipes use tomato juice as a thickener, I prefer to keep it fresh using only raw ingredients.  But as a friend pointed out recently, gazpacho can get a little bland - especially depending on the quality of your ingredients, so it’s important to start with nice, ripe tomatoes.  From there, I spice it up with superfood spices like cayenne, and turmeric to boost its flavor and health value.  

Check out my recipe below, and whether or not your evening forecasts piñata and tacos, this gazpacho is sure to spice things up.  

 

5 SPICE RAW GAZPACHO

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3 tomatoes or ⅕ c of cherry tomatoes to cut the prep time (I go for heirlooms when available, or nice ripe hothouse tomatoes on the vine)

1/2 orange bell pepper (about 3/4 cup chopped)    

1/3 vidalia sweet onion (about 1/3 cup chopped - more to taste)

1/2 large cucumber peeled (about 1 cup chopped)

1 tbsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cayenne - more to taste

1/4 c cilantro

1 fresno pepper diced (could substitute a jalapeño or other pepper if preferred)

salt and black pepper to taste (black pepper is important for turmeric absorption)

                   INSTRUCTIONS

1. Roughly chop and dice all ingredients

2. Add ingredients to a blender or food processor, and puree until desired consistency.  This is up to you, but I prefer mine with a little bite to it.

3. Serve chilled, and finish with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil or a few slices of avocado, plus a dash of cayenne and a sprig of cilantro if desired.