Eat More Veggies-Farmers Market Gazpacho

Live Holistically is a multi-author site.
This post was written by: Pat Kennelly

In the summer, it’s easier to eat more fruits and vegetables. Melons, cherries, corn, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted chile peppers, peaches and more fill the local farmers markets and supermarkets with their fresh aromas and bright colors.

My doctor recently said to me “I’ve never met anyone who got fat because they ate too many vegetables” and again I saw the same sentence when I was reading The Mediterranean Prescription

Try to include at least one fruit or vegetable in each of your meals and snacks. The high fiber, vitamins and minerals can not be matched by anything you find in a package. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a website that includes recipes, tips, and all of the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables. And if you research the healthiest diets in the world they all include an abundance of guess what? fruits and vegetables.

Gazpacho is a farmers market favorite. With a base of tomatoes which are high in cancer-fighting lycopene and an abundance of other fresh vegetables, it’s a quick nutritious cold summer soup.

Gazpacho

1 clove garlic—chopped
½ small red onion—chopped
½ red pepper —deseeded and chopped
½ green pepper —deseeded and chopped
2 roasted chile peppers-chopped
1 cup peeled, deseeded and chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped, roma tomatoes
4-6 cups tomato juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. I think gazpacho tastes better the next day, so prepare ahead of time. Set out additional bowls of chopped veggies to garnish the cold soup.