If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you know that salad is my favorite food – not just lettuce and dressing. But salads that have “everything” in them and are a meal.  My typical lunch/dinner is dark leaf lettuce, spinach, quinoa, chicken, feta cheese, pine nuts, cranberries, tomatoes, carrots, red pepper, and onions – or whatever I have in the refrigerator.

Three years ago my family vacationed in Seville, Spain and I discovered that I could have my salad as a soup. I had never tasted anything so fresh & delicious! It’s called Gazpacho Soup. Gazpacho soup is from the southern region of Spain called Andalusia. It’s made of ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and blended with olive oil, vinegar and served cold. The original soup was blended with stale bread which takes additional time to prepare. I like recipes that are quick, easy, and delicious, therefore the recipe below does not include bread.

This soup is chalk full of antioxidants, vitamins, and tons of fiber. Find out HERE why fiber is important for continued health and how it helps with weight loss. If you don’t like eating salads to get your allotment of daily veggies, try this amazing soup! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.  Enjoy!

Gazpacho Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 large tomatoes, medium chopped
• 1 medium onion, medium chopped
• 1 red pepper, medium chopped
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 4 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 cucumbers, juiced (if you don’t have a juicer, use 1 cup cucumber peeled, seeded, and chopped
• Two shakes of red pepper flakes or to taste
• Optional: 1/2 cup fresh cilantro without stems
• Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream for topping

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except plain greek yogurt to food processor or blender. Puree until totally smooth and thicker than tomato juice.
2. Pour into a bowl. Hint: If your blender isn’t large enough to hold all the ingredients, puree half of each ingredient, pour into a bowl, and puree the second half and add to the bowl.
3. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight.
4. Serve cold with a dollop greek yogurt or sour cream.
5. Bon Appetit!

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