UPDATED June 2nd, 2018
When you think of soup do you picture a piping hot bowl of comfort food? Well, it’s gazpacho time, a summery spin on soup by embracing a spoonful of something more refreshing as the weather heats up. Cold soup? That’s right. Originating in Spain, this cold, raw soup typically consists of 6 main ingredients: tomatoes, olive oil, cucumbers, red bell peppers, onions and garlic. It is refreshing due mostly to the cold temperature but also thanks to the fresh ingredients—making it the perfect dish on a hot and steamy summer day.
Before you mutter “ick” at the thought of raw soup, hear us out. First of all, you can whip this dish up quickly since it is served cold and requires zero cooking; and secondly, it is extremely good for you. A recent study has shown that the tomatoes in it contain high levels of an antioxidant called lycopene, and when consumed regularly, gazpacho can help lower blood pressure significantly. In fact, investigators found that, “consuming it lowers the risk of high blood pressure by 27 percent.” This is somewhat shocking considering that this dish typically contains salt (which can increase blood pressure), but the theory is “that the bioactive elements of the ingredients in gazpacho counteract the potential negative effects of the salt.” Bottom line: gazpacho is really good for you and really good to eat on a hot summer day. Here are 7 recipes to try this season.
