Peach Basil Gazpacho

Ingredients

• Tomatoes - the best you can find! If you have a garden or a CSA with more tomatoes than you know what to do with, gazpacho is a an awesome way to use up a bunch at once. They can honestly be any kind of tomato... tomatoes on the vine, Romas, grape or cherry... whatever you've got!
• Peaches - Instead of an all-tomato gazpacho, we're replacing a couple tomatoes with peaches for a subtle fruity, sweet twist.
• Onion - Just a little bit, for flavor.
• Garlic - Some fresh cloves of garlic for more flavor.
• Cucumber - Cukes are just a small part of this gazpacho recipe, but more veggies for more flavor.
• Bell pepper - Same as the cucumbers; more veggies for more flavor!
• Basil - Any fresh herbs are delicious in gazpacho, but fresh basil is extra delicious with peaches.
• Extra virgin olive oil - For richness, flavor, and to provide a fat source that aids in nutrient absorption.
• Sherry vinegar - I'm truly obsessed with the aged sherry vinegar from O olive oil. I could drink the stuff! But feel free to use white balsamic, red wine vinegar, or similar vinegar instead.
• Salt & pepper - Salt as a flavor enhancer, and pepper as little additional flavor.
• Bread - Preferably day-old sourdough or a piece of toasted and cooled whole wheat bread. Blending a piece of bread into gazpacho helps to thicken it into a beautiful texture.

Substitutions & Variations

This gazpacho recipe has pretty much all the same ingredients as salad, so it's vegan and meets many dietary needs! That said, below are some substitutions or variations that you can try if desired.

• Gluten free - For gluten free, make sure to use your favorite gluten free bread, OR blend in a ¼ cup of almonds or walnuts to thicken up the gazpacho and add delicious flavor.
• Vinegar - I use an aged sherry vinegar because it's slightly sweet, but other light vinegars will work!
• Herbs - Basil is especially delicious with peach, so I picked out it special for you! But honestly with gazpacho, you can't go wrong, so feel free to try some cilantro or parsley instead!
• Garlic - The garlic in this peach basil gazpacho isn't overly strong, but if you're sense to the bite of raw garlic, try macerating it in the sherry vinegar for a few minutes first by slicing it and soaking it in the vinegar. Alternatively, you can use confit garlic or roasted garlic, ideally both chilled or at room temperature.

Instructions

Step 1: Chop the peaches, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and bell pepper into large chunks, and place them in a blender with the fresh basil, salt, pepper, olive oil, and sherry vinegar.

Step 2: Blend all ingredients until smooth; it will still have little chunks of veggies throughout (like the picture above), and that's expected!

Step 3: Tear up a day-old or lightly toasted piece of bread (goal is for it to be on the dry side) and fully immerse it into the gazpacho while still in the blender. Allow it to soak for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Blend once again until the bread is fully blended into the gazpacho. Taste and add more salt if desired, then chill the peach basil gazpacho for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to serve! If desired, serve with a swirl of thick balsamic vinegar or glaze.

Hint: Gazpacho is best when fully chilled! If you want to serve it a little more quickly, make sure all of your veggies & fruits are well-chilled before blending them. I recommend chilling peach basil gazpacho for at least 30 minutes.