Yield: 2 luncheon portions

Gazpacho ~ a favorite light summer soup, reminiscent of wandering the back alleys in Seville, Spain, and discovering places unknown to the typical tourists. This recipe is ridiculously easy and sure to please.

Ingredients:

• 3 large vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon Jerez sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil, as needed, preferably Spanish
• 1 tablespoon Merchant Spice Co.’s Spanish Seasoning from the European Collection
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (NOTE: Merchant Spice Co.’s Aleppo Seasoned Sea Salt works nicely in this dish.)
• 1-2 tablespoons of dried minced red bell pepper, optional
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (parsley, oregano and marjoram also make excellent choices) , minced, for garnish
• 1/4 cup diced feta cheese, for garnish

Preparation:

Remove the stems from the tomatoes and dice the tomatoes and cucumber into large chunks. Place them into the food processer (or blender) along with the vinegars and olive oil and blend until finely chopped, but with a bit of texture remaining. If extra liquid is needed in order to process the vegetables, a little spring water may be added … just enough to provide the correct consistency.

To this mixture, add the minced onion and garlic along with sea salt, to taste, and your seasonings. If using dried red bell pepper, add it at this point. It’s optional, but adds a nice depth to the flavor of the soup. Taste and correct the seasonings & salt, if needed.

Serve the gazpacho in wide, shallow bowls, garnished with fresh herbs and feta cheese.

Olé!

Classic gazpacho ~ garnished with fresh herbs and feta cheese

Gazpacho accompanied by garlic bread with Aleppo pepper

Aleppo Seasoned Sea Salt from the Seasoned Sea Salts Collection by Merchant Spice Co.

Reminiscing of the quaint back alleys and paths less traveled in Seville, Spain

Gazpacho ~ a glorious summer soup