Green Gazpacho

I haven’t done any cooking in weeks.  It’s crazy.  I’ve been so distracted by the competition in San Francisco and the events that took place since that I’ve had very little appetite.

Yeah… you heard me right, no appetite.

I’ve been just swinging by Subway most nights on the way home from the gym, or cooking a quick Jenny Craig meal.  Just to get something in my body, not really interested in eating.

With a new week ahead, I decided to get back in the kitchen and whipped up this amazing soup to take to work as a snack.  If you’ve read this blog for a while, you’ll know I LOVE gazpacho… but this one is quite different, you’ll see…

While I’ve made Firefly’s Tomato Gazpacho and my friend Alecia’s amazing Watermelon Gazpacho, the idea of a GREEN Gazpacho caught my eye!  What makes it even more interesting is that there’s not a single tomato in this batch!  And… it has that secret ingredient that I love so much:  AVOCADO.

The recipe as a whole is incredibly easy to whip up, and the flavor and fragrance  is insane.  You’re going to love it!

Green Gazpacho 

From Budget Bytes

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

2 medium cucumbers

1 medium white onion

1 medium green bell pepper

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 medium avocado

¼ bunch fresh parsley

¼ bunch fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Remove the ends from the cucumber and slice it in half lengthwise. Scrape the seeds out with a spoon and then chop the cucumber into chunks.

2.  Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and also cut it into chunks. Dice the onion.

3.  Add the cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and garlic (peeled) to a food processor. Process until the vegetables are minced.

4.  Slice your avocado.  Note:  Need help picking out a ripe (but not too ripe) avocado?  If you remove the stem, it should be this color.  If it’s brown, it’s over-ripe.

5.  Pull the leaves from about ¼ of the parsley and cilantro bunches. Add the leaves to the food processor along with the olive oil and the flesh from the avocado. Purée until smooth.

6.  Add the water, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and one teaspoon of salt. Puree until smooth again. Taste the soup and adjust the salt or lemon juice if desired.

7.  Serve immediately.  Serve immediately or chill until ready to eat.

Per 1/2 cup serving:

CAL 99; CARB 7g; FAT 8g; PROT 2g; FIB 2g; WW Points Plus: 3