So it’s been hot. Like really hot. It’s also been humid (for Colorado). Like really humid. After living here for quite some time, we’ve gotten used to the dryness that is Colorado. Unfortunately, we have been blessed with disgusting, moist weather. Because of this horribleness, we decided to make gazpacho. Gazpacho is hit or miss with me. For me to eat a soup that is supposed to be eaten cold, it has to be absolutely delicious. I’m not one of those “pull the leftovers out of the fridge and eat them cold” types. As a result, this gazpacho had to be over the top. Now a traditional gazpacho is normally tomato based and involves of a bunch of “in-season” veggies. I decided to put a little spin on it and add a little ditalini. I love pasta in soup, and this soup would be no different. The key with this recipe is the magnitude of flavor. It is so refreshing, cool and absolutely perfect for this awful heat. With little tweaks here and there, you can make it paleo, gluten-free…or any other way that strikes your fancy. Also, it’s easy! No cooking involved! This is secretly the reason I made it…shhhh…I certainly did not want to turn on the oven. Pair it with a cool and refreshing brew and you’ll forget it’s 100 degrees all together!
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I went kind of crazy in the broth department for this recipe. There is a lot involved, but I think each ingredient serves a purpose. The only ingedient you could possible change when putting together the broth would be the amount of “spicy” you decide to put in. We love spicy. We especially love spicy gazpacho. You can add more sriracha into the mix or reduce the amount to your tastes. If you really want some heat, throw another jalapeño into the mix … orrrrrr … maybe even a habanero =). The veggies are totally up to you. I used what I thought looked best. There is no right or wrong veggie, just try to keep them as raw as possible. This is what makes this soup so great…it’s extreme raw factor.
As for beer, there was only way to go. How many times have I mentioned in the past that spicy goes great with hoppy? Instead of going my normal route of IPA, I decided to go a little less on the hoppy and go with a pale ale. It makes a huge difference, trust me. I didn’t want the intensity of a brew to take away from the intensity of the soup. I also wanted to highlight each flavor of each veggie, and I thought an IPA would take away from that. The pale ale was perfect and Founders Brewing has a great one. It’s solid and perfectly balanced. As a result, it balances this meal perfectly.
Enjoy the week everyone! Have a great one!
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