White Bean Gazpacho
This refreshing gazpacho recipe utilizes cooked white beans in place of the stale bread that’s traditionally added to this kind of soup (the original version is so delicious as well, give it a try if you haven’t yet!). Both make the soup more creamy and filling, but I would argue that the white beans make it feel a little more nourishing overall. It can even be enjoyed as a light meal all on its own.
White Bean Gazpacho
serves 2-4
6 small-medium tomatoes (about 1.5/2 lbs or 680-900 g), quartered and cored
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 medium-hot pepper, halved and seeded (optional, for heat)
1 clove garlic
1 cup cooked white beans
handful basil, plus more for garnishing
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
In an upright blender, combine the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, hot pepper if using, garlic, white beans, basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Blend until very smooth. Taste for salt and vinegar, adjust if needed. Optionally, strain the gazpacho through a fine mesh strainer to make it even more creamy and silky. Chill the gazpacho very well. If enjoying right away, add some ice cubes to your serving bowls to cool it down. Serve drizzled with more olive oil and garnished with basil.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
The ingredient amounts in this recipe are not set in stone, that’s the beauty of a blended soup. If you have more or less of one of the vegetables, you can still make the gazpacho, just adjust the seasonings accordingly.
If your soup turns out too thick for your liking, just add a little water to thin it out.