Garbanzo Gazpacho Rustica

This is a rustic version of gazpacho - cool fresh tomato soup. Perfect for summer. I blend about two thirds of the veggies together, leaving the remaining (finely diced) veggies to serve as crunchy texture. The garbanzo beans add protein and substance to make this an especially satisfying vegetarian meal in itself.

If you are serving this soup with other dishes, you could easily leave the garbanzo beans out for a lighter fare.

4 large fresh ripe tomatoes, about 2 lbs, finely diced (include all juices)

1/2 purple Bermuda onion, finely diced

1 English cucumber, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

3 stalks celery, finely diced (center baby stalks and leaves a bonus)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced through a press

2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely minced

2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely minced

juice of 2 limes

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp coconut aminos

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

fresh basil leavers for garnish, if desired

Toss together the first set of ingredients into a large bowl.

Remove about 1/3-1/2 of the mixture to a separate bowl, depending on how crunchy you want your soup. Blend the remaining mixture either in a blender or with an immersion blender. Mix together blended and unblended veggies. Add the garbanzo beans.

Mix well. Allow to marinate for an hour in the refrigerator. Serve chilled, garnished with basil, if desired.

Cook’s Note: This is really nice served with toast points or even better, bruschetta or avocado Boursin toast points.

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