WINTER GAZPACHO

Winter Gazpacho image

This thick vegetable soup is hearty and boasts a colorful flavor. This dish is normally eaten cold but is perfectly suitable to be eaten warm or with a warm side dish. If you care to use ham in place of the bacon, cook it briefly in its own juices before adding it to the soup while it simmers. Also, try using tabasco or your favorite hot sauce in it. Add creative toppings to the soup by dicing hard boiled eggs into bitesize pieces. Add fresh basil instead of parsley.

Provided by Tinesters

Time 1h10m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 (1 pound) package bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 large ripe tomatoes, diced
½ salad cucumber, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon dried parsley, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Chop the bacon into bite size pieces.
Put the tomatoes, cucumber, and onion in a food processor or blender; process until the mixture has the texture of a viscous soup.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan; cook and stir the garlic in the hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour the tomato mixture into the pan. Season with parsley, salt, and pepper; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the flavors blend to your liking, 40 to 60 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped bacon over the soup to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 209.9 calories, Carbohydrate 12.6 g, Cholesterol 27.3 mg, Fat 13.2 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 11.7 g, SaturatedFat 3.8 g, Sodium 587.2 mg, Sugar 7.6 g