SUMMER GAZPACHO
Are these hot summer days leaving you grasping for cooler foods? Forget the ice cream, this gazpacho is what you are looking for, it is nourishing, fresh and tasty.
It is packed with powerful nutrients: the lycopene (present in tomatoes) aids the body counteract the harmful effects of UV rays; the vitamin C (present in peppers) is necessary for collagen production; the quercetin (present in onions) helps to reduce inflammation and ease seasonal allergies; and the vitamin K (present in cucumber) promotes wound healing through optimal blood clotting.
You can prepare the gazpacho in advance and keep it in the fridge until you are ready for a meal, just top it up with a handful of seeds or some chopped veggies, and is ready to go.
To make it a complete meal, pair it with a fist size of rice and a handful of steamed edamame beans.
Serve: 4
Difficulty: easy
Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours in the fridge
Ingredients
-7 tomatoes
-1 green pepper
-1 cucumber
-1/2 small onion
-1 clove of garlic, peeled
-2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (plus more to decorate)
-juice of ½ lemon
-salt and pepper
Toppings (optional): croutons and a mix of pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds
Method
1.Prepare the veggies: wash and pat dry. Roughly chop the tomatoes, deseed and chop in quarter the pepper, peel and chop the cucumber, peel and chop the onion, peel and remove the core from the garlic.
2.Place all veggies in a high-speed blender and blend for few minutes, until you reach a smoothie-like consistency.
3.Add lemon juice and oil slowly, while pulsing few times. Adjust of salt and pepper. If you like a runnier consistency, you can add half glass of water.
4.Place in the fridge for 2 hours. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, croutons and a tablespoon of mixed seeds.
