Motherlode Gazpacho

Cool, refreshing summer soup!

I discovered the cool, refreshing flavor of gazpacho two summers ago when Doug and I dined at a local restaurant.  Gazpacho was the featured soup of the day, so I gave it a try.  It has since become one of my favorites.  It can be a little labor intensive to chop all of the vegetables that go into the soup, but it makes a large batch, and it is worth the effort.  The taste just gets better the longer it chills in the refrigerator and marinates.

Gazpacho  is a soup made of raw vegetables and served cold, usually with a tomato base, originating in the southern Spanish region of  Andalusia.  Gazpacho is widely eaten in Spain and neighboring Portugal,  particularly during the hot summers, as it is refreshing and cool. (from wikipedia)

Benefits

Gazpacho soup is full of antioxidants and vitamins. There is healthy fat from the olive oil, and this soup has no cholesterol and is generally low in calories.   A bowl of gazpacho soup will go a long way toward satisfying the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. (from ehow.com/ what is gazpacho)

Doug and I went to Colorado in June, and we visited the beautiful town of Breckenridge with all of its lovely shops.  We played the tourists and browsed the local establishments.  We stumbled upon a shop called Motherlode Provisions.  
We sampled their out-of-this-world Bloody Mary Mix.  

When the flavor of this mix hit my mouth, I thought, "This would be great in homemade gazpacho!"

Ingredients:

• 3 cups tomato juice
• 2 large finely diced tomatoes
• 1 finely diced red pepper
• 1/2 medium diced seeded cucumber
• 1/4 medium finely chopped red onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup Motherlode Bloody Mary Mix
• 1 chopped roasted jalapeno
• 2 tsp. vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. jalapeno sea salt or regular sea salt, to taste
• Pinch red chili pepper flakes
• Garnish of chopped cilantro, avocado, salad topping (lightly salted crispy jalapenos)

Printable version: Motherlode Gazpacho

 Gather the ingredients.

 In a large bowl, pour 3 cups tomato juice.

 Finely dice 2 large tomatoes.

 Roast a seeded jalapeno pepper.

To roast, seed a fresh jalapeno.

Place skin side up, and place under broiler until the skin bubbles and is brown,
about 7-8 minutes.

 Remove roasted jalapeno from oven and place in a bowl.

Cover until it cools, then skin will peel off easily.

 Dice 1 red bell pepper.

 Remove the seeds and

dice 1/2 medium unpeeled cucumber.

 Finely chop 1/4 medium red onion.

 Mince 2 cloves of fresh garlic.

 Drizzle 1 tbsp. olive oil into vegetable mixture.

 Measure and add 1/2 cup Motherlode Bloody Mary Mix.

 Chop one roasted jalapeno that has the skin removed.

If you want more heat, you can add more peppers.

 Add 2 teaspoons vinegar.

 Blend half of the mixture until smooth.

 Add the blended mixture into the the other half of the chopped vegetables.

This will give the soup a nice texture.

 Season to taste.

Add salt and pepper.

We also added 1/2 teaspoon jalapeno sea salt.

 We like a little heat, so we sprinkled in red chili pepper flakes.
Chill in refrigerator 1 hour or up to 24 hours before serving.

 Chop fresh cilantro, avocado, and for crunch, add lightly salted crispy jalapenos.

Enjoy!

This just gets better, the longer it marinates!

About Motherlode Provisions
Motherlode Provisions was founded in 2010 in the wake of Boulder, Colorado's Four Mile Fire. Dedicated to the creation of all-natural recipes that evoke the adventure and spirit of the Rocky Mountain wilderness, the Motherlode Provisions product line includes three barbecue sauces, two hot sauces, steak sauce, and our premium Bloody Mary mix. Motherlode products can be found in select U.S. States in grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market, Alfalfa's Market, Lucky's Market, Rouse's Market, and Natural Grocers/Vitamin Cottage. Motherlode's Bloody Mary mix is also available in liquor stores and bars/restaurants throughout Colorado.
Motherlode's Bloody Mary mix has been exhibited at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen for three summers and was named one of Colorado's top 25 food products by EdibleAspen magazine in 2012. It was featured in the VIP tent at the 2013 World Cup downhill ski races in Beaver Creek and again at the 2014 American Ski Classic in Vail. Our Bloody Mary mix is the only Motherlode Provisions product currently available for online purchase. (from http://motherlode-provisions.myshopify.com/pages/about-us)