Cold Tomato Summer Vegetable Soup


My father made this cold tomato and zucchini soup the other day.
“Don’t call it gazpacho.”
“Why not? It looks like gazpacho, but with some zucchini.”
“It’s my soup. I made it up. It’s not gazpacho. Don’t call it gazpacho.”
“Okay dad, whatever you say.”
So instead, my brother Eddie has named it “The Farmer’s Market in a Soup”. And, given that dad brought home every ingredient except the seasonings and broth from our local farmers market, the name makes sense. It is a wonderfully cool, fresh soup for a hot summer day. Just don’t call it gazpacho.

Cold Tomato Summer Vegetable Soup Recipe

Note, dad says to chop the zucchini finer than what is pictured in the photo.

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 fresh, ripe tomatoes, seeds removed (cut tomatoes in half, squeeze out seeds into a sieve over a bowl to catch the juice, use the juice, discard the seeds), chopped
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped fine
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped fine
  • 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 zucchini, chopped fine
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped fine
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups tomato juice (in addition to the juice made when you squeezed the tomatoes above)
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or pinch of dry)
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • Hot sauce if needed

METHOD

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Use the additional tomato juice to thin the soup to desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste. Better the next day.