Seafood Gazpacho

We went out for Mother's Day brunch and I found this little gem on the buffet table. This is one incredibly healthy meal and 100% Paleo. We are talking delicious vegetables and nature's nearly purest form of protein, shellfish. If ever there was a perfect meal for a hot summer night, this chilled soup is it!

This recipe is quick and easy...the vast majority of the ingredient list is the gazpacho, which you are going to create by pressing a button on your food processor or blender. But so this soup has a really pleasing crunch and texture, you are going to dice some of the veggies and add them to the gazpacho base.

For seafood, it is really up to you. Shellfish holds up best, and when I made mine, I used salad shrimp, lump crabmeat and bay scallops. Mix and match as you see fit. My only suggestion is to keep the diced veggies and the pieces of seafood roughly the same size.

 The crab and small salad shrimp can be bought pre-cooked, so only the scallops need a few minutes on top of the stove. Just steam or sauté them for 2-3 minutes until they are opaque (do not overcook!). This recipe serves four.

Ingredients
1 large seedless English cucumber
1 large bell pepper (color doesn't matter, buy the biggest)
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
24 ounces (3 cups) canned or fresh diced tomatoes (tomato juice works in a pinch)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Sriracha, Tabasco or other hot sauce

1/2 pound cooked salad shrimp (60+ pieces per pound)
1/2 pound lump crabmeat
1/2 pound small bay scallops
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut cucumber in half. Cut first half into large chunks and put in food processor. Dice second half and set aside.
2. Cut bell pepper in half. Remove stem and seeds. Cut first half into large chunks and put in food processor. Dice second half and set aside.
3.  Slice both poles of onion off. Cut onion in half. Cut first half into large chunks and put in food processor. Dice second half and set aside.
4. Add 8 ounces (1 cup) of diced tomatoes to food processor, then add garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, sherry vinegar, sugar and hot sauce.
5. Turn on food processor and let blade spin until all ingredients are pureed. Pour out puree into a large ceramic bowl.
6. Add the remaining 16 ounces of diced tomatoes to food processor and turn on to puree. Pour out puree into the other ingredients in the ceramic bowl.
7. To the puree, add the diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, diced onion, shrimp, crab and bay scallops. Gently stir to mix. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
8. Uncover seafood gazpacho. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not add it earlier...it will water down your soup by sucking the moisture out of the diced cucumber and onion). Divide among 4 chilled soup bowls and serve.

Wine pairing: Manzanilla (Spanish Sherry)

I have found that Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted
Diced Tomatoes add the best flavor to the gazpacho.