Summer of Luz: Gluten-Free Gazpacho Andalucia (Almost Raw)

Every year when the weather gets warmer I get requests for this recipe, they have recently started rolling in from friends flung across the country. I posted this last year at the old blog, but haven't gotten around to transferring all of the old recipes, so here it is again . . . Gazpacho Andalucia just like my señora, Luz, used to make during my study abroad days in Madrid. While this soup is from the southern coastal region of Andalucia, this cold soup is served throughout Spain all summer long. A piece of (gluten-free, in this case) bread lends the creamy texture. This is of course healthy and seriously addicting. Great with a glass of red wine and salad, pre-Siesta, por supuesto.

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

4-5 Ripe Tomatoes*

1 Cucumber, peeled

1 red pepper, deseeded

1/4 C. Olive Oil

2 Tbs White Wine Vinegar (red or white wine with or without a splash of vinegar works too)

1/2 tsp. Cumin

2 cloves garlic

1-2 slices gluten bread, soaked in water for 5-10 minutes**

1. Chop all vegetables and garlic.

2. Squeeze excess water from bread.

3. If using a vita-mix or the equivalent, add all ingredients together and blend until smooth.

4. If you are using a less powerful blender, combine the wet bread with the olive, oil and white wine vinegar, blend until smooth.

5. Add in tomatoes and blend until smooth.

6. Add in remaining ingredients a handful at a time and blend until smooth.

7. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

*The quality of the tomatoes will determine the flavor of the soup so I recommend using Juicy ripe organic tomatoes fresh from the Farmers' Market. This soup doesn't taste as good when tomatoes aren't in season locally.

**Pretty much any kind of gluten-free bread will work, I have even used plain frozen gluten free waffles, a gluten-free English Muffin and Gluten Free French Roll all with great results. Add the equivalent of 2 slices of gluten-free bread for thicker soup, one for thinner soup.