https://recipes.hendrixweb.com/GazpachoFromSouthBeachDiet.htmlSouth Beach Diet Gazpacho
Ehen.
So you dey do that South Beach diet? Phase 1?
The one wey no allow bread. No rice. No nothing wey sweet.
I know your pain.
My sister went through am last year.
She called me one Tuesday. Crying.
She say she feel like goat.
Just dey chop leaves.
I laff.
But I understood her.
The thing with these diets is say your stomach no dey get wetin to hold.
You chop salad.
One hour later. Belly dey shout again.
So I told her.
“Abeg. Make I show you something.”
Gazpacho.
No fire. No smoke. No cooking.
Just chop. Blend. Chill. Collect.
The thing dey fill you because your mouth dey busy chewing.
Your brain go think you chop heavy meal.
But na just vegetables and juice.
Genius right?
I dey serve this one for catering jobs.
When sun hot sotey even mosquitoes no fit fly.
People love am.
Dem no even know say na diet food.
Let me show you how I do am.
Wetin You Need
Make I list am for you.
No skip any one o.
Tomato juice. 2½ cups.
Make sure na low sodium.
The regular one dey taste like ketchup.
You don chop ketchup before? E sweet for small quantity.
But for soup? No.
Your gazpacho go taste like canned spaghetti.
Nobody wants that.
V8 dey okay. But check the label.
Some get sugar. You no need sugar for this diet.
Fresh tomatoes. 1 cup.
You need to peel am.
And remove the seeds.
I know. Wahala.
But listen.
The skin dey bitter when raw.
The seeds just add water.
You want the flesh. The good part.
Celery. ½ cup.
I know some of una hate celery.
I understand.
But here. E dey work.
E give the soup that savory background.
The thing wey make am taste like you try.
Skip am. Your soup go taste flat.
Like plain water.
Cucumber. ½ cup.
English cucumber better.
The skin thin.
If you buy the normal one. Peel am.
Nobody wants to dey bite thick cucumber skin for soup.
Green bell pepper. ½ cup.
Make sure na green.
Not red. Not yellow.
Green dey sharper. E dey bite back.
That’s the flavor we want.
Red too sweet for this one.
Green onions. ½ cup.
Use the white part AND the green part.
No waste anything.
The white dey give bite.
The green dey give freshness.
White wine vinegar. 3 tablespoons.
If you no get. Red wine vinegar go work.
But white wine vinegar dey cleaner.
E no fight with the vegetables.
Olive oil. 2 tablespoons.
This one important o.
Make sure na extra virgin.
The cheap groundnut oil wey you dey use for stew?
No use am here.
You go taste am raw.
Use the good one.
The one you dey save for special occasions.
Use that one.
Garlic. 1 big clove.
Just one.
I know you love garlic. I love am too.
But raw garlic na bully.
One clove dey give flavor.
Two cloves go give you bad breath.
Your wife go vex.
Parsley. 2 teaspoons.
Fresh one.
Not the dried one wey dey sit for your cabinet since 2019.
Fresh parsley get color. Get flavor.
Dried parsley na dust.
E no do anything.
Salt. ½ teaspoon.
Start with this one.
You fit add more later.
Worcestershire sauce. ½ teaspoon.
This one na my secret.
E dey add that savory. Meaty flavor.
The thing wey make people ask wetin you put inside.
Just dash. No overdo am.
Black pepper. ½ teaspoon.
Grind am fresh.
The one wey dey powder for sachet?
No get that same heat.
Hot sauce or pepper. If you like.
If you like fire. Add am.
But make you remember.
The heat go increase as the soup dey sit for fridge.
So no go crazy.
Add small. Taste. Add more if you need.
How To Prep Am
Okay.
This is where people dey mess up.
Dem go throw everything for blender.
Press puree.
Then dem go taste am.
Wonder why e be like baby food.
Don’t do that one.
Chop your tomatoes into rough chunks.
Chop your cucumber.
Chop your bell pepper.
Then blend them SEPARATELY.
Why?
Because tomatoes break down faster than celery.
If you blend everything together.
You go get tomato puree.
With celery chunks floating around.
Not good.
Pulse each vegetable until e rough chop.
You want texture.
Something to chew.
If you want smooth. Blend am longer.
But me? I prefer chunky.
Your brain need to work small to chop am.
That way you feel full.
Once everything chop. Put am for glass bowl.
Or stainless steel bowl.
Important.
No use aluminum o.
The acid from the tomatoes go react with the metal.
Make your soup taste like money.
Not the sweet money wey you go spend.
The bitter money wey you go find for your pocket.
Add your garlic.
Add your tomato juice.
Add your vinegar.
Add your olive oil.
Add your salt.
Add your pepper.
Add your Worcestershire sauce.
Add your hot stuff if you using am.
Mix everything.
Cover am.
Put for fridge.
The Waiting Part
This one na the part wey people dey skip.
Dem go mix everything.
Want to chop am immediately.
Dem go taste am.
Say “This na just chopped vegetables for tomato juice.”
And dem dey right.
Because you need to let am sit.
Minimum 2 hours.
But honestly?
Overnight better.
The raw garlic go calm down.
Become sweet.
The vinegar and oil go become friends.
The vegetables go release their juice.
Everything go come together.
I dey make mine at night.
Chop am for lunch the next day.
The difference na night and day.
When you taste am cold.
You go understand why people dey pay money for this one for restaurant.
Taste Am Before You Serve
Before you serve. Taste am.
Too sour? Add small salt.
Salt dey kill sourness.
Too bland? Add squeeze of lemon.
Or splash of vinegar.
The acid na wetin dey make this soup pop.
Too thick? Add more tomato juice.
Too spicy? Too late.
You should have been careful.
But you fit stir in some plain yogurt.
Or avocado.
To calm am down.
How To Serve Am
Pour am for chilled bowls.
Or even glasses.
Gazpacho for glass dey look fancy.
Your guests go think you try.
Drizzle small olive oil on top.
Sprinkle your fresh parsley over am.
E go look like you go culinary school.
This soup dey stay for fridge for 3 to 4 days.
And honestly?
The flavor dey better as e dey sit.
So no worry if you make plenty.
But no freeze am o.
The vegetables go become mushy.
Watery when dem thaw.
Not worth am.
My Last Words For You
Look.
Healthy food no need to taste like punishment.
This gazpacho dey cold.
Dey refreshing.
Dey packed with vegetables.
We go fill your stomach.
Without breaking your diet.
E perfect for South Beach Phase 1.
Because e dey give you satisfaction.
Without the carbs.
I don serve this one for events.
When sun dey hot sotey people dey sweat through their clothes.
Everyone love am.
Dem no even know say na diet food.
Pair am with grilled chicken.
Or shrimp.
You get full meal.
Your stomach go shut up.
Your waistline go thank you.
Now.
I want ask you something.
You like your own chunky or smooth?
Tell me for comments.
So we fit argue small. 😂
Prep time: 20 minutes
Chill time: 2 hours minimum. Overnight better.
Serves: 5 people
Equipment: Blender. Glass or stainless steel bowl. Knife. Cutting board.
