The first time I ever ate gazpacho, I was working as a waiter in Washington DC back in the mid-80s. I loved the refreshing flavors of the fresh vegetables, especially the cucumber, and the boldness of the tomato base.
I’ve been making it for years from scratch using whole tomatoes from a can, but find a delicious workaround using a scrumptious locally-produced Bloody Mary mix, from Pope’s.
Pope’s makes a variety of delicious products and are based in Shaker Heights. While I never met the owner, I know he was part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program as I was with my company. Check out their website at www.popeskitchen.com. If you’re not local to Cleveland, you can order it online.
I would highly recommend the “Traditional Recipe” Bloody Mary Mix for Gazpacho, as they do make spicier recipes as well. I find that if it’s too spicy, I don’t taste the coolness of the cucumbers as much. I know Pope’s is available in Heinen’s, as well as the Wine Reserve in Bainbridge. I’m not certain if Giant Eagle carries it. If you find out they do, leave a comment!
Anyway, give it a whirl. I’m sure other Bloody Mary mixes will work too, I’m just a fan of Pope’s!
Make a batch of this refreshing gazpacho before summer is over! Considering it’s all veggies, the only WW Points are from the olive oil, which would be basically 1-2 points max per serving, if that!
Enjoy!
Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 1 29oz can Whole tomatoes (slightly mashed with potato masher)
- 1 cup Pope's Bloody Mary Mix (Traditional Recipe, or other mix you prefer)
- 1/2 Cucumber (Diced)
- 1/2 small Onion (Diced)
- 1/4 Green or red pepper (Diced)
- 2 cloves Garlic (Pressed)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, pour a can of whole tomatoes and smash with a masher, releasing the juices. Mash, but keep chucky too.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl and blend
- Chill and serve
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