Winter Gazpacho

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.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 210 Calories

Ingredients

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

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

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.

Step 2

Put the tomatoes, cucumber, and onion in a food processor or blender; process until the mixture has the texture of a viscous soup.

Step 3

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.