Smoky Chilled Gazpacho

I never thought I'd be a fan of cold soup, but this gazpacho recipe adapted from Oh She Glows so hits the spot on a hot day. I'll liken it to a fresher-tasting take on salsa, only you get to eat an entire bowl and it doesn't feel even a little bit weird. What a fantastic way to get in a few servings of vegetables! I'm also feeling extra sentimental with spicy flavours paired with cilantro as it brings back memories of our Mexico honeymoon two years ago.

For this recipe, you'll want to have stocked up on some ripe Roma or Heirloom tomatoes. I changed a number of ingredients from the original recipe found in the Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook, as I often find I'm lacking specific hard-to-find ingredients that these USA-hailing food bloggers have quick access to. I also took a few shortcuts, because who DOESN'T want a fancy, restaurant-worthy meal in less than FIVE MINUTES?!?!?

Smoky Chilled Gazpacho

(Serves 4. Vegan Option, Gluten-free Option, Raw)

Ingredients

10 ripe Roma tomatoes or 8 large ripe heirloom tomatoes

1 English cucumber

1/4 chopped white or yellow sweet onion

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 cup tomato paste1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp sugar (optional)

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Optional toppings:

1/4 avocado per bowl

1/4 cup chopped green onions or chives

2 tbsp vegan parmesan cheese (made from 2 tbsp pine nuts, 2 tbsp raw soaked cashews, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, and crushed garlic and salt!)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp grated aged cheddar cheese

Preparation

In a blender, combine all ingredients up to the "toppings". Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup cold water while blending, to create your desired soup consistency. Chill 1 hour if desired, or overnight, to help the flavours more richly blend together. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with your choice of toppings, and serve with a few slices of garlic-and-olive-oil-rubbed sourdough rye toast.