Ah… this grain-free gazpacho! I made this dish all of last summer and recently re-did it in order to take the pictures and it came back to me what a delight this dish is! It comes together in less than 15 minutes requires 0 time near a stove (an added bonus during this recent heat-wave we are experiencing here in Germany) and lasts about 4 – 5 days in the fridge! 😃 Win, win, win is what I am calling that 😉
What is Gazpacho? It was hard to find a finite definition of this. Originally from Spain, this soup is made up of common salad vegetables (e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers) and eaten cold. It can also sometimes be a bit on the spicy side. Original recipes appear to have started with stale bread that got soaked in water.
Well… not this grain-free gazpacho! In order to keep this paleo-friendly, I swapped the stale bread for cashews. It provides a great level of creaminess to the dish, without adding any gluten.
Why is this grain-free Gazpacho good for you?
Tomatoes
The bulk of the soup is made up of this powerful vegetable (albeit technically being a fruit). It is naturally high in Vitamin C to support your immune system, Vitamin K1 to help the blood clot properly and support your bone health and Vitamin B9, which is important for tissue growth and your cells functioning properly. It also contains a healthy dose of potassium, an essential (= the body is unable to produce it yourself) Mineral, which helps to control blood pressure and may aid in preventing heart disease.
Cucumbers
Like tomatoes, they also contain Vitamin C and K and are rich in Manganese, Magnesium, and Potassium. They have some antioxidants that protect us against free-radicals in the air. Due to its high water content (96%) they are naturally hydrating, which can be very beneficial – especially in the summer months.
Peppers
Peppers are high in Vitamin C. In fact, a cup of red pepper contains about three times more Vitamin C than an orange. They are also rich in Vitamin K1 and in beta carotene, which gets converted in the body into Vitamin A and is brilliant for our eye health.
Fennel
Fennel contains Vitamin C, along with Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and Manganese. It also contains an antioxidant called “Polyphenol”. This antioxidant is very anti-inflammatory and may aid in lowering or preventing heart disease, obesity, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Coriander / Cilantro
Coriander is a powerful herb that is equally packed with Vitamins and essential Minerals. It aids in reducing inflammation in the skin (such as swelling) and can help clearing up skin conditions, such as eczema and dryness due to its detoxifying, antiseptic, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties. You see – this is a powerhouse to keep around! Fun fact: There is a small percentage of people for whom coriander tastes like soap, which is down to their individual genetic make-up and will not change over the course of their lifetime.
Adding the “vegetable base” 
Blending “vegetable base” 
Adding “finishing ingredients”
What if you are anything like my sister who cannot stand being in the same room as a pepper because it makes her nauseous and ready to 🤢? Simply swap in a bit more tomatoes and/or cucumber. You could probably also “hide” a courgette in there if you wanted to 😉
How can I adjust this Grain-free Gazpacho to my dietary requirements?
This Grain-free Gazpacho is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and paleo. Due to the cashews used, it is not nut-free. If you would like to make a nut-free version you could swap in sunflower seeds instead of cashews. I would probably opt for a little less than the indicated cashews (possibly a 3/4 cup).
I hope you are enjoying this delicious summer meal! ☺️ Please tag me in your creations on Instagram under @life_and_lemons_foodblog and leave a comment below! If you enjoy this soup, why not try my Lemon Tomato Soup – one you can enjoy either warm or cold? Perfect especially in the springtime and fall time!
Grain-free Gazpacho
3
servings15
minutesThis grain-free gazpacho is made up of tomatoes, hydrating cucumber and Vitamin C powerhouse comes together in 15 minutes and requires no time on the stove!
Ingredients
- For the vegetable base
750 gr tomatoes (can be a mixture of yellow and red)
1 cucumber
1 medium-sized red or yellow pepper
1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
1 lemon, juiced (ca. 4 tbsp)
- For the cashew blend
1 cup (160 gr.) cashews
2 tsp fennel seeds*
2 tsp garlic powder
- Finishing ingredients
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste (generous amount)
Handful of Coriander
About 1/3 (80 ml) to ¾ cup (180 ml) of water
How to
- Wash and roughly cut the tomatoes, cucumber and pepper and add everything to a food processor. Add olive oil and lemon juice and blend until largely smooth (it will still be chunky as a final result – but basically blend it up)
- Add the cashews, fennel seeds and garlic powder to a small blender and grind into a ‘flour’
- Add the ‘flour-like’ mixture to the food processor and again blend so that everything mixes well
- Add salt and pepper to taste (the amounts in the recipe are recommended). Whisk again to combine
- Finally, add a handful of washed coriander, along with a bit of water – depending on how chunky you want the soup. I suggest adding a little at a time to get to your desired consistency
- Put soup into an airtight container and let sit overnight or for a good 8 hours to have it develop its flavours (okay – I have also eaten it straight but the flavours taste better when developed 😉)
- The next day, serve cold with additional, coriander and some olive oil on top. ENJOY!!
Notes
- * You can also swap in one bulb of fennel instead of seeds. Simply add to the vegetables whilst blending and omit when grinding the cashews.
