Healthy Recipe of the Week ~ Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a tasty and refreshingly easy way to eat your veggies.  It is a wonderful antipasta' (appetizer), and works equally well for lunch, especially when served with some toasted Italian bread!  I've even included a tex-mex variation for you to try... it's amazing served as a side with  homade fish tacos!

Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 4 cups tomato or V8 juice
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, minced
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano*
• 1 teaspoon dried basil*
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingrediants. Blend until well-combined but still slightly chunky. 
2. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. 

* If fresh herbs are in season, definately use them in place of the dried herbs. Generally, one tablespoon of fresh herbs can be substituted for one teaspoon of dried herbs (and vice-versa), but let taste be your guide.

For Gazpacho with a south of the border kick, you can substitite a chili pepper (like a fresh jalapeno) for the green pepper, swap out the lemmon juice with lime juice, and replace the oregano and basil with cilantro and cumin. 

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories: 45 | Total Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg