Creamy Gazpacho

As a kid, I was never a fan of tomatoes. I hated ketchup (still do), would pull tomatoes off of sandwiches and out of salads, and preferred no sauce to tomato sauce. I now realize that my dislike stemmed from eating conventional tomatoes - not tomatoes themselves. The first time I bit into a real tomato I fell in love, and it's a romance that's been going strong ever since. We grow our own tomatoes in the summer, and have a true abundance. And there is nothing like a fresh picked, juicy, ripe tomato in the summer.

Last night I was hungry after a particularly grueling workout, was feeling especially hot and uncomfortable (it was about 100 degrees here yesterday and I spent the day sweating), and was in the mood for something cool and refreshing. Enter gazpacho. I made this up on the spot and didn't measure exactly, so the following is more of a general guideline. This creamy gazpacho reminded me of my trip to Italy with the smells of fresh tomato and basil, and the texture is so light and refreshing it's almost like eating the most delicious air.


Ingredients

• 14 Roma tomatoes (this was approximately 6-8 cups when quartered)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil (I absolutely LOVE basil so this is a large amount - I recommend starting with 1/4 cup and adding more to taste or it will be overwhelming)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts (these add the creaminess to the soup)
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 - 2 cups water (depending on desired consistency)
• salt to taste, if desired (I didn't use any)

Directions

1. Add water to blender**. 
2. Quarter the tomatoes and onion and add to blender.
3. Add the basil and pine nuts.
4. If using a Vitamix, blend at 10 for a few seconds to get things going. Then turn to high and blend for a good minute or two to achieve a creamy, airy soup. If you prefer a chunkier soup leave it at 10 until desire consistency.

Enjoy!

**Notes: 

1. I made this soup using my Vitamix, which allows me to be lazy, not chop, and still get a creamy smooth soup. If you are using a regular blender, the soup will be chunkier and I recommend chopping the basil, pine nuts, and onion before adding.
2. When using the Vitamix, you can actually warm up the soup if you prefer by allowing it to run for about 4 minutes on high - but for me, the best part of gazpacho is the refreshing coolness on a hot day! 

Real Review - 5/6
Self:  "I love the basil and the texture."
The Spouse: "Mmm - this is so LIGHT!"
The Sous-Chef: "I like it, but I think I'd like less basil. But it's good!"
The D.Q.: "I just don't like it." (I think she doesn't like the idea of a cold soup more than anything.)
Miss U.N.: "Mmm! This is really good!"
Wild Thing: "You really made this?! Can I have more?"