California Gazpacho

July 3, 2008

One of my favorite light summer dinners to make is refreshing gazpacho. This chilled soup is sure to quickly soothe an overly hot body. The recipes that I prefer are those without bread, making them lighter and healthier (especially if you're dieting).

This recipe is from my mother's friend, Vicki Sebastiani, founder of Viansa Winery in Sonoma, California. You can find it in her wonderful cookbook Cucina Viansa.

Gazpacho alla California

Makes 8 cups
1 large cucumber: peeled, seeded and diced
1 large red onion: peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper: seeded and diced
1 large zucchini, diced
6 large tomatoes: peeled seeded and diced (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups tomato juice
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash of Tobasco sauce (optional)

Garnish:

1/2 sour cream
1/2 cup fresh minced chives
1/2 cups croutons, preferably homemade (I skipped this in my preparation)

Note: I also like to toss in avocado for extra creaminess.

Set aside about a 1/2 cup each of the diced cucumber, onion, pepper, and zucchini. Toss the remaining ingredients into a blender and puree slightly, so vegetables remain a little chunky. Cover tightly and refrigerate 2-3 hours, or until chilled. Either stir the remaining vegetables into the soup, or arrange on a separate dish to be added individually. Nice served with a dollop of sour cream, too.

California Gazpacho on Foodista

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Comments

Summer Ceviche Tostadas's picture

[...] hot and humid evening decided our dinner menu for us: fresh gazpacho and ceviche tostadas. We made our ceviche with shrimp and scallops, but just about any seafood is [...]

Nate's picture

Viansa is one of my favorite places to hang out in Sonoma.

Thanks for the recipe. I like the addition of diced zucchini in the recipe. I'd skip on the sour cream, but up the garlic quotient.

Traditional Gazpacho | Foodista Blog's picture

[...] long ago I posted a recipe for a chunky California-style gazpacho. It was such a hit that I thought I’d share with you a more traditional, but just as [...]

Dear Food Bloggers: – Rocio Osborne: The Life of a Spanish V's picture

[...] food blogs to find new recipes, especially twists on traditional Spanish cuisine, such as this California Gazpacho recipe. I’m always so amazed at the number of blogs out there, from the very involved and professional [...]