The Professor and I have done our fair share of entertaining; we don’t as much anymore as our family has aged, college life has spread us about and schedules seem to be busier than ever. And even though there aren’t as many people sitting at our table as often, a couple of rules remain the same: whatever we serve at a party, needs to feed a crowd and the recipe needs to be make-ahead so we have time to enjoy our guests.
Most of our entertaining happens during the summer months when the weather in Central Indiana is mostly blue skies and warm temperatures; we have an above-ground pool, a large yard and large deck that makes for some great entertaining. The Big Green Egg almost always has burgers grilling, colorful beach towels are laid out with flip-flops nearby; teams are divided up for a game of Bocce Ball and a few Beach Boy tunes spin on the playlist. There is plenty of splashing and sunscreen to go around – even the little ones are entertained with a kiddie pool of their own. Summer entertaining is one of the best times to spend the day catching up – we’ve often dreamed of having a summer movie night with popcorn and cotton candy but that hasn’t happened yet.
We’re headed off to New York on a shoot but when we return, we have a couple of dinner parties planned – one of which will consist of Carnita tacos with gluten-free flour tortillas and a variety of toppings; our appetizer will be this chilled gazpacho which comes together incredibly quick and is quite easy given that I start with two of Sabra’s fresh salsas. No prepping or chopping veggies, I just add a bit of lemon juice, sherry vinegar, olive oil and some day-old gluten-free bread. Whizz everything in the blender until smooth, chill for a couple of hours or overnight and it’s a party!
The Professor and I love Sabra hummus but gotta say, their fresh salsas are terrific; and you can do more than dip chips with it – although that’s pretty great too – this salsa is pimp!
*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sabra. I am being compensated to develop a recipe and share information about Sabra Salsas with you; however, all opinions are strictly my own.
QUICK & EASY GLUTEN-FREE SUMMER GAZPACHO
Makes 4 cups
Starting with fresh salsa eliminates the prep time of the vegetables making this gazpacho ready to refrigerate in less than 15 minutes. There are times when I take a few shortcuts – especially when I find something that is close to what I make from scratch and Sabra’s Fresh Salsas do just that!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 container Sabra Homestyle Salsa, Medium
- 1 container Sabra Roasted Garlic Salsa, Medium
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar – this little addition makes the soup so no substitutions
- 1 cup English cucumber, seeded and chunked (no need to peel)
- 2 cups cubed Gluten-Free French bread (I use Schar brand, but any gluten-free bread will work)
- Water – if needed – to thin soup to your liking
- Halved cherry tomatoes for garnish
- English cucumber moons for garnish
- Salt & Pepper to taste
METHOD:
- In a small bowl, halve the cherry tomatoes, slice a cucumber moon for each serving and set aside for garnish
- In a blender, combine 1 container of salsa (doesn’t matter which one you start with) with lemon juice, sherry vinegar, olive oil and bread. Turn the blender on, slowly increase the speed to the highest setting and blend until smooth, stopping the blender to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed
- Add the second container of salsa and the cucumber; blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute
- Transfer to a large bowl, adjust seasonings if needed; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day
- Pour the gazpacho into small jars and garnish each with a cucumber slice and a few of the halved cherry tomatoes
Deb, this looks so cool and refreshing, and using salsa as a base is brilliant! I’ve never thickened gazpacho with bread (or anything else), so will have to try it your way. We like to garnish with chopped cilantro, diced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, and tossing in some chilled shrimp makes makes this an entire meal.
Victoria – those toppings are a welcome addition – so good!!
Love this recipe and I love the idea that you used store bought salsa’s to create your gazpacho!
I LOVE that this recipe uses salsa as the base. (Can you get any easier?) I haven’t tried the Sabra salsas but this gorgeous gazpacho has convinced me that I need to! Have a great time in NY!
Ooh, I have been thinking about gazpacho for a few days now. This recipe looks absolutely lovely. I haven’t tried the Sabra salsas yet, but I think I’ll have to pick some up this week! Plus, I am happy for any excuse to put the Vitamix to work. 🙂
Jen ~ the Vitamix is a dream for this recipe – you’ll love it!!
This looks great, and super easy, Deb! I usually make my own salsas and hummus, too, but I definitely have a weakness for Sabra…the salsas are great when you don’t feel like chopping or roasting tomatoes, and the pine nut hummus is SO good. Safe travels to NYC!
Jenn ~ we usually make our own salsas too but every now and again i’ll take a cheat – as long as it’s a good cheat w/quality ingredients; this literally comes together in less than 15 minutes!