Each week we be bring you new recipes for delicious, nutritious meals, which will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. This week's recipe:
Grilled Gazpacho
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 scallions, trimmed
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and quartered
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 vine-ripened tomatoes (about 2 ½ pounds)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 cucumber, peeled
- ¼ cup mixed chopped fresh herbs (including basil, oregano, tarragon, flatleaf parsley)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (or to taste)
- ½-1 cup cold water, or as needed
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Needed for Grilling: 2 cups wood chips (oak or hickory), soaked in water to cover for 1 hour, then drained.
Directions
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat the grill to high.
- Finely chop the scallion greens and set aside for garnish.
- Skewer the scallion whites on bamboo skewers or toothpicks.
- Skewer the garlic cloves the same way.
- Lightly brush the scallion whites, garlic, and onion quarters with olive oil. (Save the bulk of the olive oil for flavoring the soup – see below.)
- If using a gas grill: place the wood chips in the smoker box or a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke.
- If using a charcoal grill: toss the chips on the coals.
- Grill the scallions, garlic, and onions until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Grill the tomatoes and bell peppers until the skins are black and charred, 2 minutes per side for the tomatoes, 3 to 4 minutes per side for the peppers.
- Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Scrape the charred skins off the tomatoes and peppers with a paring knife. (Don't worry about removing every last bit.)
- Core and seed the peppers.
- Place the scallion whites, garlic, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, herbs, vinegar and remaining olive oil in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Thin the gazpacho to pourable consistency with water if needed and season with salt and pepper.
- The gazpacho can be served now, but it will taste even better if you chill it for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.
- Just before serving, correct the seasoning, adding salt or vinegar to taste.
- To serve, ladle the gazpacho into bowls and sprinkle with the chopped scallion greens.